NRW Conducts First Self-Organized Deportation Flight to Bulgaria

Seven asylum seekers were deported under the Dublin Regulation as part of a new charter flight initiative by North Rhine-Westphalia.

North Rhine-Westphalia organized its first charter deportation flight, sending seven men to Bulgaria on February 11, 2025.
The deportees included four Syrians and three Afghans, all in their 20s, whose asylum claims were deemed Bulgaria's responsibility under the Dublin Regulation.
NRW's Refugee Minister Josefine Paul emphasized this as a significant step, highlighting the efficiency of charter flights over individual deportations via commercial airlines.
The initiative required approval from Germany's Federal Office for Migration, which negotiates deportation terms with destination countries and coordinates with other states.
Efforts to expand charter deportations come amid logistical challenges like limited flight capacity and administrative hurdles, which have previously delayed cases such as the Solingen attack suspect.