AfD Calls for a Special Unit for Deportations
Leif-Erik Holm, the AfD candidate for the state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, is calling for a special unit within the police force. According to him, its primary task would be to handle the deportation of people required to leave the country.
Holm made the demand last week at a campaign rally. There, he also stated that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania needs its own “departure center” instead of an initial reception center. According to the German Press Agency, about 400 people attended the event.
Other AfD state chapters have also called for their own police unit dedicated to deportations in the past. The AfD in the Bavarian State Parliament, for example, supports the creation of a so-called “asylum, search, and deportation unit.” To establish this unit, the parliamentary caucus requested five million euros each for the years 2026 and 2027 in the Bavarian budget in the spring of 2026.
The demands made by the AfD in Bavaria also referred to the U. S. agency ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Among other things, this controversial agency is responsible in the U.S. for the arrest and deportation of people without legal residency status.
What does "obligation to leave the country" mean?
Persons who are required to leave Germany are those who must depart because they no longer have a valid right of residence. This may be the case, for example, if an asylum application has been definitively denied. Or because the Residence permit has expired, has not been extended, has been revoked, or has been withdrawn.
Whether a deportation can actually be carried out, however, always depends on the individual case. There may be legal or practical reasons that prevent deportation. These include, for example, close family ties in Germany or a serious illness. A lack of travel documents, a refusal by the country of origin to accept the individual, or disrupted flight connections can also temporarily prevent deportation.
If a person required to leave the country cannot be deported temporarily for legal or practical reasons, the deportation is generally suspended. The person concerned is then issued a Tolerance permit.
AfD in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Calls for Border and Deportation Police and Deportation Facilities
The call for a specialized police unit is not new. In the AfD’s platform for the state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the party calls for a“border and deportation police” unit within the police force.
According to the AfD's plans, this unit is intended, among other things, to combat illegal entry and human trafficking. At the same time, the unit is to take on responsibilities related to deportations.
In addition to the police unit, the AfD in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is also calling for special facilities for people who are required to leave the country.
In its election platform , the party refers to “state-run departure facilities.” According to the AfD’s plans, these facilities would house individuals required to leave the country until they depart voluntarily or are deported. In addition, the party is calling for a dedicated deportation detention facility for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Is a deportation police force legally permissible?
In Germany, the police are generally subject to state law. This means that each federal state may modify its police structure and also establish specialized units. However, the duties and powers assigned to such a unit must be regulated by law and must remain within the framework of the Basic Law.
A police unit with the same powers as, for example, ICE in the U.S. could not simply be applied to Germany. This is because different legal requirements apply to the police and government agencies in Germany.
It remains to be seen what powers the “border and repatriation police” called for by the AfD in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will have.
It is also important to note that these demands are, as of now, merely the AfD’s political plans for the state election on September 20, 2026, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The party could only implement these plans if it becomes part of the state government after the election and secures the necessary political majority to do so.
