Germany’s Federal and state migration authorities face heavy criticism after admitting that a 56-year-old Uyghur asylum-seeker was put on a plane to Beijing instead of to Turkey, the country stipulated in her deportation order. According to reporting by AFP, the Lower-Saxony foreigners’ office responsible for the case said officers acted “formally korrekt”, because the federal deportation notice did not explicitly forbid removal to China. The woman, Reziwanguli Baikeli, had fled Xinjiang in 2017, lived in Turkey for several years and joined her daughter in Germany in 2024. Uyghurs are recognised by Germany as a group at extreme risk of persecution; informal guidance says they should not be returned to China.
Der Spiegel first revealed that local police could not confirm her Turkish residency and booked the next available flight, sending Baikeli via Frankfurt to Beijing on 3 November. Once in China she managed to telephone relatives, who purchased onward tickets allowing her to transit via Dubai to Istanbul within hours, narrowly avoiding detention by Chinese security services.
![German Authorities Admit Uyghur Woman Wrongly Deported to China]()
Human-rights researcher Adrian Zenz called the incident “a blatant violation of Germany’s responsibility to protect”. The federal Interior Ministry has ordered a review of communication channels between the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and state deportation units. Politicians from the opposition Greens and the liberal FDP are demanding an immediate moratorium on deportations to China and clearer written instructions for high-risk nationalities.
Practically, the case illustrates the growing compliance burden on German HR and mobility teams: authorities are scrutinising identity documents more aggressively and a single discrepancy can have life-threatening consequences for employees’ family members. Mobility managers should review any pending removals or voluntary-departure plans involving Chinese citizens of Uyghur origin and ensure legal counsel is engaged early.
Longer term, the episode may accelerate calls for a federal “white list” of countries to which deportations are categorically barred—similar to policies already used in Sweden and the Netherlands. Companies relocating staff from sensitive regions should monitor the debate and factor possible delays into project timelines.
Der Spiegel first revealed that local police could not confirm her Turkish residency and booked the next available flight, sending Baikeli via Frankfurt to Beijing on 3 November. Once in China she managed to telephone relatives, who purchased onward tickets allowing her to transit via Dubai to Istanbul within hours, narrowly avoiding detention by Chinese security services.
Human-rights researcher Adrian Zenz called the incident “a blatant violation of Germany’s responsibility to protect”. The federal Interior Ministry has ordered a review of communication channels between the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and state deportation units. Politicians from the opposition Greens and the liberal FDP are demanding an immediate moratorium on deportations to China and clearer written instructions for high-risk nationalities.
Practically, the case illustrates the growing compliance burden on German HR and mobility teams: authorities are scrutinising identity documents more aggressively and a single discrepancy can have life-threatening consequences for employees’ family members. Mobility managers should review any pending removals or voluntary-departure plans involving Chinese citizens of Uyghur origin and ensure legal counsel is engaged early.
Longer term, the episode may accelerate calls for a federal “white list” of countries to which deportations are categorically barred—similar to policies already used in Sweden and the Netherlands. Companies relocating staff from sensitive regions should monitor the debate and factor possible delays into project timelines.
