The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment of foreign nationals during a national return operation by air from Germany coordinated by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).

To this end, the CPT’s delegation monitored a charter flight from Munich (Germany) to Kabul (Afghanistan) under the authority of the German Federal Police. The delegation also observed preparations for the return flight, notably at Eichstätt Prison (Centre for detention pending deportation), including the transfer of returnees to the airport by the Bavarian State Police and the hand-over to the Federal Police authorities in charge of the boarding procedures.

On the eve of the flight, the delegation met representatives of the Federal Police and officials from the authorities in Bavaria, including representatives of the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior and for Integration and the Bavarian State Police. It also held consultations with the National Agency for the Prevention of Torture (National Preventive Mechanism).

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT: Jari Pirjola (Head of delegation), Djordje Alempijević and Ivona Todorovska. They were supported by Sebastian Rietz of the CPT’s Secretariat.

This is the fifth time the CPT has examined a removal operation by air. Previously, the CPT has monitored return flights from the United Kingdom in October 2012, from the Netherlands in October 2013, from Italy in December 2015, and from Spain in February 2016. The reports on these four removal operations have been published on the CPT’s website.