On Sunday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser revealed in an interview with a German newspaper that confidential negotiations are ongoing with various countries regarding the deportation of "criminal" Afghan and Syrian migrants.
Faeser emphasised the continuous effort to deport violent Islamist criminals.
In the interview with Bild am Sonntag, Faeser highlighted that Germany's interests are her top priority and that the federal police are prepared to support the responsible states in expediting these deportations. She stressed that anyone without the right to stay in Germany should leave the country promptly.
These statements come as the German Foreign Ministry concluded in a confidential assessment that combat operations continue at varying levels across different parts of Syria. Opponents of refugee deportations cite a United Nations report indicating that conditions for the safe return of refugees are not yet in place.
However, Mario Voigt, a member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), argues that the possibility of deportation to Syria should be extended not only to criminals but also to those who have no prospects of staying.
The German Interior Minister previously stressed that the authorities are engaged in negotiations with various countries to deport "criminal" Afghans. Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, stated last Wednesday that the country would soon decide on the deportation of Afghan migrants.
The murder of a German police officer by an Afghan refugee in June in the city of Mannheim has increased the pressure in Germany to deport refugees to Afghanistan.
