Only 4 of 73 NRW councils accepted deportation help
Only four of 73 local foreigners' offices in North Rhine-Westphalia accepted help from the state's central foreigners' authority in Coesfeld to prepare deportations. This comes from the NRW refugee ministry's answer to a question from the FDP in the state parliament, reported on Sunday 4 October.
The Coesfeld authority had sent the offices lists of people who are obliged to leave Germany, mainly from Western Balkan states. It offered concrete help, such as obtaining replacement passport papers and filling places on deportation flights. In total the lists held 1,245 names. Most concerned the city of Cologne, which received a list of 471 people in November 2024. About 800 names concerned other councils. According to the ministry, 18 offices never replied, and in two cases it is unclear whether the email arrived. The rest said they did not need the help or would handle the cases themselves. Only 143 requests for help with passport papers followed, and 53 people have since been returned.
The ministry stresses that a refusal does not automatically mean a council did anything wrong. The pressure is rising, though. NRW refugee minister Verena Schäffer announced at the end of September that all of the roughly 56,000 people in the state who are obliged to leave will be checked for criminal records and other security risks. In future the state will also track whether councils respond to its offers of help.
If you live in NRW with a Duldung or a decision that you must leave, your file may now be looked at again. Keep your documents and contact details with your local foreigners' office up to date, answer every letter on time, and get advice early from a migration counselling service or a lawyer if you are unsure about your status.