1 – DEPORTATION Land Police would refuse to carry out such returns, citing issues relating to insurance and working hours. In such cases, the deportees have to return to their assigned place of residence independently and at their own expense. However, this is not possible if the affected persons have no financial resources. In the view of the National Agency, a uniform regulation should be adopted to stipulate that deportees must be returned to their previous accommodation after a failed deportation. In 2018, the National agency observed the following four deportation procedures: - 31/01: Leipzig/Halle to Tunisia - 29/05: Frankfurt to Albania and Kosovo - 21/08: Berlin-Tegel to Ghana - 24/09: Frankfurt am Main to Pakistan The immigration authorities of the respective Länder are responsible for the enforcement of deportation procedures. Deportees are generally picked up by the relevant Land police authorities and taken to the airport. The National Agency received reports of inconsistent approaches in this regard. 1.1 – POSITIVE EXAMPLES The National Agency highlighted several positive examples during its visits. During the deportation procedure on 29 May, the National Agency observed a family being picked up in the early morning in Bamberg and being taken to Frankfurt am Main Airport. The pick-up began at 5:30 a.m. The Land police officers were accompanied by an interpreter who explained the procedure to the family and informed them of their right to contact legal counsel or relatives. The family was given sufficient time to pack their luggage. Food and drinks were also available to them during the journey to the airport. However, when subsequently questioned at the airport, most of the deportees stated that they were not informed of their rights on the night of their pick-up, and that they received neither drinks nor food despite lengthy travel times in some cases. For example, deportations at Leipzig/Halle Airport were carried out at a separate terminal. As a result, the Federal Police were able to adapt this area to the specific requirements associated with this measure. For instance, a play area was set up and two televisions were installed in order to keep the children entertained and occupied. There was also an outdoor area in front of the terminal which the deportees could enter and where smoking was permitted. 1.2 – FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations on the following main topics were submitted to the executive authorities: From the airport onwards, the Federal Police generally takes control of the deportation procedure until the individuals are handed over in the target country. 1.2.1 – Deportation monitoring The presence of deportation monitoring centres at airports and their regular exchange with authorities and non-state actors help to prevent or at least address misconduct during deportation operations. Deportation monitoring centres exist at the airports in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main and Hamburg. At Leipzig/Halle airport, the National Agency observed that only the airport’s spiritual advisor – who is unable to provide first aid and who does not report on her findings – was present during deportation operations. If a deportation measure fails, the affected persons are required to return to their assigned place of residence. The visiting delegation was informed that there was no standardised procedure for this in the Federal Länder. In some cases, the Land Police would wait until the flight had departed so that, in the event of a failed deportation, they could return the affected person. This was the case for Hamburg Land Police, for example. In other cases, however, the 51