Across Germany, detention facilities for individuals subject to deportation are currently operating with significant vacancy rates, according to a recent survey conducted by “Der Spiegel” magazine. As of early August, 460 individuals requiring deportation were held in these facilities, while 182 beds remained unoccupied.
The occupancy rates vary considerably between individual German states. Hesse reported an average occupancy of 58 percent of available beds since the beginning of the year. In contrast, Baden-Württemberg registered a much higher rate of 80 percent. The state’s Ministry of Migration indicated this figure approximates full capacity when pre-booked spaces are considered.
A new facility in Arnstadt, Thuringia, is scheduled to open in mid-August, adding 37 detention spaces. Thuringia’s Minister of Migration, Beate Meißner, justified the opening partly by claiming nationwide detention space is “almost 100 percent utilized” – a statement that appears inconsistent with the figures obtained by “Der Spiegel”. Previously, Thuringia relied on a single reserved detention space in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Responding to inquiries, officials from Minister Meißner’s ministry stated that local immigration authorities have frequently refrained from requesting detention orders due to a lack of available space or concerns about the high costs of executing deportations in other states. Both Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt are also in the process of planning their own dedicated detention facilities.