Hundreds protest at German airports against deportations and deportation terminals

Nationwide action day

Demonstrators gathered at several German airports on 24 October 2026 as part of a nationwide action day titled "Bundesweit gegen Abschiebewahn". The protests opposed deportations of people whose asylum applications had been rejected, deportation detention, and the building of infrastructure for removals. The We'll come united network, which brings together migrant groups and left-wing activists, backed the day and favours abolishing borders and migration not controlled by states. Protests were announced at airports in Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Hanover and Berlin.

Crowds at the airports

Police estimated that more than 700 people gathered near Munich airport in Oberding, in the Erding district, where a dedicated deportation terminal is planned to speed up removals. The campaign "Abschiebeterminal MUC verhindern!" called that protest and accused Flughafen München GmbH of building infrastructure for expanded deportations while profiting from it. A campaign spokeswoman said:

“With the deportation terminal, FMG provides the logistical infrastructure for mass deportations.”

In Leipzig/Halle, police counted about 400 people, while a spokeswoman for the action alliance put the figure at around 600. Police put the Berlin crowd at about 150. In Frankfurt, the federal police counted around 300 people, and the protest was also directed against a planned deportation terminal at the airport. At Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf, police reported about 50 demonstrators each, and 100 people had registered in Düsseldorf. Police described the protests in Cologne and Düsseldorf as calm, and no effect on air traffic was reported there or in Frankfurt.

Leipzig/Halle400

Frankfurt300

Berlin150

Cologne/Bonn50

Düsseldorf50

Leipzig/Halle

400 people

Frankfurt

300 people

Berlin

150 people

Cologne/Bonn

50 people

Düsseldorf

50 people

Data from the article text

Charter flights to Afghanistan

In Leipzig, the protest focused mainly on charter deportation flights to Afghanistan. Deportation flights have already left Leipzig/Halle several times this year, according to the reports. Authorities said most people on board were offenders. The alliance demanded an immediate halt to deportations, arguing that people seeking protection have a right to asylum. It also described the German government's cooperation with the Taliban on removals as dreadful.

Figures behind the protests

Government data show that about a quarter million people held an official departure order in June 2026. That figure does not cover all irregular migrants, only those with a legal obligation to leave, for reasons such as breaking the law. The interior ministry reported that 9,663 people were deported from Germany in the first six months of 2026. According to the same government data, the state is not currently carrying out all the deportations the law requires.

Organisers' demands

The network wants the money spent on removals redirected to the integration of refugees and argues that asylum seekers should be free to move. A spokeswoman for We'll come united put its position this way:

“We oppose any infrastructure behind deportations and demand freedom of movement for all people.”

The network's objections focus on the planned deportation terminals in Frankfurt and Munich, which it sees as the logistical base for removals. Organisers said the protests were coordinated across the country and were aimed at both the removals themselves and the facilities built to carry them out.