SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch has expressed skepticism about the feasibility of weekly deportation flights, as demanded by the CSU’s leader Markus Söder. In an interview with the Bild, Miersch stated that anyone who provides a specific number of deportation flights lacks a solid foundation for their claim. He specifically rebuffed Söder’s demand for weekly deportation flights, including to Afghanistan, saying, “Even Mr. Söder won’t be able to realize this and I’m convinced of it. And if I make such bold statements in this highly sensitive issue, then I’ll fall even further if I can’t actually make it happen.”
Miersch emphasized the complexity of the asylum procedure, stating that it’s not a matter of simply removing individuals from a flight, but rather, they must be allowed to land. He also mentioned that the recent deportation flight to Iraq was long in the making, unrelated to the election campaign. “What is correct is that we under the SPD-led government already changed things that make deportations easier. And in that sense, these are the first consequences of that” Miersch said, adding, “But as an election ploy, you can’t even call it that. The prelude is much, much longer.