NRW to review files of 56,000 people obliged to leave
North Rhine-Westphalia's refugee and integration ministry plans to review the cases of all of the roughly 56,000 people in the state who are currently obliged to leave Germany. Minister Verena Schäffer (Greens) presented a five-point plan to the state parliament's integration committee on Wednesday. The aim is to speed up returns, with people who have committed crimes or are considered a security risk to be handled first.
Under the plan, local foreigners' offices (Ausländerbehörden) will have to record information on convictions, ongoing investigations, security concerns, replacement travel documents and the status of return proceedings, and report it to the state. District governments are to monitor cases and step in where proceedings stall. This information is to be bundled in a digital tool that still has to be built, with a possible start in mid-2027. The ministry will also offer municipalities administrative support with returns.
The plan follows weeks of debate about the so-called Coesfeld list, cases in Cologne where people obliged to leave were not returned. Schäffer said the plan does not mean that only offenders will be returned. Anyone who is obliged to leave and faces no legal obstacle must in principle leave the country, but offenders and people considered dangerous are to be given priority.
Who is affected: people in North Rhine-Westphalia whose asylum application was rejected and who are obliged to leave, including people with a toleration (Duldung). People with a valid residence permit are not affected by this plan.
What to do: if you have a Duldung or have been told you must leave, make sure the information in your file at the foreigners' office is up to date. Check whether you may qualify for a right to stay, for example through work, vocational training or long residence (Bleiberecht). Get advice from a migration counselling service or a lawyer specialising in residence law before your Duldung expires.