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A couple living in Frankfurt were deported to Türkiye while their three underage children remained under the supervision of the city's youth welfare authority, prompting criticism from refugee rights advocates over the prolonged separation of the family.
The children, aged 3 years, 18 months and 5 months, are still being cared for at a placement outside the family home under the supervision of the Frankfurt Youth Welfare Office, known in Germany as the Jugendamt.
The Jugendamt temporarily removed the parents' custody rights in February on the grounds that the children required protection and appointed an official guardian to represent them.
The measure was not described as a final custody ruling, but as a temporary step intended to safeguard the children.
According to information provided by people supporting the family and cited by the Hessen Refugee Council, the parents continued to have the right to meet their children before they were deported.
The Hessen Refugee Council described the deportation as a "scandal," arguing that sending the parents away while their children remained under state protection raised serious concerns about family unity and the best interests of the children.
Refugee rights advocates also called on the authorities to explain the decision and reconsider its consequences for both the children and their parents, who now face the risk of remaining separated for an extended period.
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