Preventing Deportation

In order to prevent deportation, you must first know whether deportation is imminent and how great the risk is:

• A tolerated stay [Duldung] usually means risk of deportation.
• These tolerated stays state: ‘Expires on the day of deportation regardless of validity’
• It is particularly dangerous if a [Duldung] is only valid for 3 months.
• A tolerated stay for employment [Beschäftigungsduldung] or training [Ausbildungsduldung] are not dangerous.
• Even if you have a “certificate of temporary residence” [Bescheinigung über den vorübergehenden Aufenthalt] = BÜVA, the danger is great. A BÜVA is a DIN A4 sheet with a photo that you receive from the immigration office as an “ID proof”, which is often only valid for 1 month and poses a great risk of deportation. Please go to a counselling centre as soon as possible if you receive a BÜVA instead of a [Duldung].
• Deportations happen in prison, in camps or at home. Sometimes people are also picked up from their workplace or from hospital.
• You can also be deported during appointments at the authorities. If it is an unusual appointment, you should be careful and preferably cancel the appointment.
• You can also be deported if you have not handed in your passport.
• Even if you have submitted an application for residence, you can be deported before the foreigners authority has decided on your application. You can prevent this if you also submit an urgent application or request a promise from the regional directorate/central foreigners authority that they will not deport you. Lawyers or advice centres can help with this.
• Attention: Families can also be deported separately!
• Deportation is possible even after many years in Germany or if you have a job, are ill or your children go to school.
• People with a residence permit, temporary residence permit, EU citizens with freedom of movement are not at risk.
• Even after many years in Germany or if you have a job, are sick or your children go to school, deportation is possible

  Every case is different. You need the help of an advice centre or a lawyer who is well versed in migration law. They need to examine your case carefully to see what your chances are.

Find out dates of collective deportations here:

You can hide, and sleep somewhere else. But you should still keep appointments with authorities – or cancel them with good reason, for example because you are sick.

Do you want to know if the police have been to your house when you are not at home? Trusted neighbours can inform you if you talk to them about it. If you live alone, you can also stick a small piece of tedder or a toothpick firmly in the crack of the door when you leave the flat. When you come back, you can then check whether someone has opened the door.

W2eu has written a brochure with important tips on how to prevent deportations:

Multilingual information on resistance against deportations can also be found at No Border Assembly

There is the possibility of soli-asylum. This means that you live with other people, where the police cannot find you. Here you can find more information in different languages:

There is also the possibility of church asylum. This means that you live in a church or a parsonage. The police knows where you are, but they are not allowed to pick you up. Most of the time this is only possible if you are deported to another EU country because of the Dublin regulation. And ideally you already have personal contact with church members or pastors. Here you can find first information: