Two Russian citizens were deported from Germany, according to the German TV channel Tagesschau. This happened for the first time since February 24, 2022.
This information was confirmed by the Land Office for Asylum and Deportation of Bavaria (LfAR), noting that one of the Russians had previously been convicted in a criminal case. The deportees were not escorted by federal police officers, as they were "not expected to resist removal" according to the agency.
It is emphasized that now for deportation to Russia it is necessary to comply with "a large number of different conditions", and in this particular case they were met. The Russians were put on a plane to Belgrade (Serbia), from where they went to the Russian Federation.
Germany suspended deportations to Russia after the outbreak of a full-scale Russian war against Ukraine "for practical reasons." This decision was influenced by the lack of direct flights between the countries, as well as the restriction to a minimum of communications between Russian and German security agencies.
Earlier, Germany granted asylum to 55 Russians who fled Russian mobilization. At the same time, a total of 2,485 Russian men applied for asylum, and the cases of 1,671 of them are still pending. The German Interior Ministry stated that Russians who do not want to take part in the war for reasons of conscience can apply for asylum in this country.