Several hundred people gathered at airports across Germany on Saturday to protest against the deportation of rejected asylum seekers and their detention ahead of removal, according to police estimates.

More than 700 demonstrators took part in the protest near Munich Airport, while police estimated that around 400 people gathered near Leipzig/Halle Airport, approximately 300 in Frankfurt and 150 at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. At Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf airports, police reported around 50 demonstrators at each location.

However, the alliance behind the nationwide demonstrations put the turnout considerably higher, claiming that “several thousand people” had participated in protests organised by local initiatives.

The alliance also reported demonstrations in other German cities, including Bielefeld and Hanover, extending the protests beyond the country’s major airports.

🪧 Hundreds protest planned deportation terminal at Munich Airport, Germany 📍 Demonstrators warn airport could become Germany’s ‘deportation capital’ https://t.co/TUIREPZloo

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) October 25, 2026

The organisers are protesting against the deportation of migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected by German authorities, their detention pending deportation and the expansion of facilities and infrastructure used to carry out removals.

In Leipzig, the demonstration focused specifically on charter flights deporting migrants to Afghanistan. German authorities have said that most of those deported to the country had been convicted of criminal offences.

“We demand an immediate halt to deportations because people seeking international protection have a right to asylum,” a spokeswoman for the organising alliance said.

She described as “appalling” the decision by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government to disregard that right while cooperating with the Taliban, Afghanistan’s de facto rulers, to facilitate deportations.

The spokeswoman also argued that the money being spent on deportations and the infrastructure required to carry them out should instead be invested in programmes supporting the social integration of migrants.