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Germany's €137,000 Deportation Flight Sparks Controversy

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Nyakundi Report

Newsroom 1 min read

This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.

On September 5th, 2019, a Bavarian police van arrived at a Berlin airport carrying a 48-year-old Kenyan man who was scheduled for deportation.

According to a report by Mkenya Ujerumani, the unnamed man was bundled into a chartered 'Bombardier Global Express' private jet that was also carrying another Kenyan man who was also being deported.

The second Kenyan man was being deported by the state of Baden-Württemberg after his asylum application was rejected with no option of appealing the decision.

Immigration officials from the states of Bavarian and Baden-Württemberg labeled the two men 'dangerous delinquents', sparking controversy over the high cost of the operation.

It was reported that the chartered aircraft cost €137,000 (Sh15.6 million), which has raised eyebrows among immigration experts.

Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria defended the decision, stating that the two foreigners had been issued with emergency passports by Kenyan immigration that were only valid for three days.

“Finding seats for the two and the 10 plus escort team and the risk of the flight being grounded if the two men resisted the exercise, ruled out a commercial flight in such a short time period,” an expert explained.

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