The country Baden-Württemberg intends to be located in the immediate vicinity of the Stuttgart Airport to establish a new location for deportation detention centres. This measure is a response to new requirements of the European Asylum System (CEAS) and is intended to meet the increased demand for such capacities. This was confirmed by the State Ministry of Justice.
The planned new unit at the airport will initially provide at least 15 additional accommodation spaces, which Baden-Württemberg must provide by July 2026 at the latest due to the new GEAS regulations. The size of the new facility is expected to be based on the Pforzheim deportation detention center, which is currently being expanded from 51 to 80 spaces and is expected to offer 68 detention spaces by fall of this year. Completion of the Pforzheim expansion is planned for spring 2027.
Justice Minister Marion Gentges (CDU) stated that the need for detention centers for deportation will likely exceed the 80 available in Pforzheim after the expansion. This is due to the increased number of deportations and the federal government's announced return offensive. The implementation of the GEAS reform package necessitates a further expansion of detention centers for deportation. State Secretary for Migration Siegfried Lorek (CDU) added that they are working on a new facility near Stuttgart Airport to implement the CEAS reform for the airport procedure.
The CEAS reform provides, among other things, for accelerated asylum procedures directly at airport transit areas, as these are considered the external borders of the European Union in such cases. Member states have until June 2026 to implement these requirements. In Baden-Württemberg, as of April 30, approximately 23.700 people were legally required to leave the country, but their deportation has been suspended for the time being, for example, due to deportation bans to certain countries such as Syria. By May 31, approximately 1.580 people were deported in the southwest, compared to approximately 1.130 at the same time last year.