Leaked documents expose SPD-linked network allegedly blocking deportations in Niedersachsen

Investigative reporting has published thousands of pages of internal documents from Niedersachsen’s migration authorities, showing that the state security service occupies influential posts in the interior ministry and the Landesaufnahmebehörde (LAB). The network, rooted in the SPD era of Boris Pistorius and continued under interior minister Daniela Behrens, includes former security officials now heading departments that decide on deportations.

The leaks cite cases where convicted murderers, rapists and suspected terrorists have remained in the state for years, with examples such as Liana K. and Arash T. procedural obstacles like strict work-time limits for officers, missing travel documents and court-ordered search requirements further delaying flights. A recent court decision requiring judicial orders for searches in refugee shelters has added another hurdle. The LAB responded with a criminal complaint against an unknown source, while interior minister Behrens dismissed the reporting as irresponsible without refuting the specific findings.