Munich Airport supervisory board approves construction of deportation terminal

Munich Airport can now move forward with preparations for a new deportation terminal after its supervisory board approved the plans. The decision allows for the construction of a facility intended to increase the number of deportations carried out by the federal government.

The project, which will see the airport company build the terminal and then lease it to the federal government, has faced strong opposition from refugee and aid organizations. They argue against the idea of deportations becoming part of the airport's business model.

The airport company emphasized that the terminal will be exclusively used by the federal police. "The execution of repatriation flights lies solely with the federal police," a statement from the company clarified after the supervisory board's decision. The airport's role is limited to providing the necessary infrastructure.

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Deportations on a large scale should not be part of the business model of Munich Airport.

Despite the approval, the plan faced internal opposition. Munich's new mayor, Dominik Krause of the Green Party, publicly stated his intention to vote against the project in the supervisory board. He argued that large-scale deportations should not be integrated into the airport's operations.

The supervisory board's decision was made by a majority vote, including approval for awarding the construction contract and finalizing a long-term lease agreement with the federal government. The airport's ownership structure, with the Free State of Bavaria holding 51 percent, the Federal Republic of Germany holding 26 percent, and the City of Munich holding 23 percent, means that the federal and state governments hold a clear majority.

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The execution of repatriation flights lies solely with the federal police.