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Hessian Interior Minister Seeks Phone Tracking Powers to Enforce Deportations

He plans to present the proposal at the June Interior Ministers' Conference.

Overview

  • Roman Poseck proposes allowing police to use mobile‑phone location data and short‑term observation to find people scheduled for removal.
  • He says the Residence Act lacks a legal basis for such measures and intends to table an initiative at the June 17–19 Interior Ministers' Conference in Hamburg.
  • Hesse recorded 1,365 failed deportations in 2025—about 41% of planned operations—which Poseck cites as his rationale for new powers.
  • The Police Union condemned the plan as a "perfidious manhunt" reminiscent of U.S. ICE tactics and argued migration enforcement should not divert police from core duties.
  • Baden‑Württemberg Interior Minister Thomas Strobl voiced support, while refugee advocates and an asylum‑law expert warned the measures would be disproportionate or unconstitutional.