Munich International Airport in the German state of Bavaria is drawing up plans to build a dedicated deportation terminal that could handle as many as 100 removals per day, and the plan is now facing a fierce backlash.
At present, federal deportations are handled through Munich’s normal passenger terminals, but, in the future, the airport plans to have a dedicated terminal out of public view to handle a big expansion in removals.
The deportation terminal will be able to handle up to 36,500 removals per year – a massive 900% increase on the 2,750 deportations that took place across all of Bavaria in 2024.
In fact, the terminal will be able to handle 37% more deportations per year than the 20,000 removals registered throughout the whole of Germany in 2024.
Plans for the terminal were first mooted last summer, and final plans are now being drawn up to be presented to the supervisory board of Munich Airport’s owner by the end of Q1 2026.
If approved, the terminal would be constructed by 2028 and then rented out to the federal government for around €4 million per year.
The plans are now drawing strong opposition from left-wing groups and unions who fear Munich will turn into a deportation hub, not just for Germany but also for other European countries.
Campaigners are angry that the deportation terminal flies in the face of Munich’s self-proclaimed status as a “safe haven.” Given that the Munich city council holds nearly a quarter of the shares in Munich Airport, campaigners are calling on the city to reject the plans.
“Munich must send a clear signal: Human rights must also be defended under pressure,” commented Katharina Grote of the Bavarian Refugee Council as a new campaign got underway to challenge the deportation terminal.
“We call on those responsible, especially during the local election campaign, to show a stand against the current deportation madness,” Grote continued.
Public protests are expected to get underway later this month, although campaigners may have an uphill battle. Munich’s lord mayor has recently spoken out in favor of the deportation terminal, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made illegal migration and deportations a big issue in recent months.
