Some 50 failed asylum seekers from Afghanistan were being deported from Frankfurt Airport to Kabul on Wednesday, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported citing government sources.
The flight marks the first group deportation of Afghans with rejected asylum applications as part of an agreement the German government made with Kabul in October.
In the past, the majority of Afghans whose asylum bids were declined were allowed to remain in Germany due to the security threat in their home country.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in October that the group deportations were supposed to send a signal to Afghans that Germany only accepts a small number of asylum bids from their country.
Der Spiegel reported that the 50 Afghans booked on Wednesday's flight will be registered by local officials in Kabul before travelling to their regions of origin.
The Interior Ministry, the police and Fraport - the company that operates Frankfurt Airport - all declined to comment on the group deportation.
Human rights organization Pro Asyl said Wednesday that it was holding a rally against the deportations at Frankfurt Airport at around 5 pm (1600 GMT).
"Simply flying people to Kabul, unloading them and leaving them to an uncertain fate is irresponsible," Pro Asyl's Guenter Burkhardt said.
Germany took in 890,000 migrants in 2015, prompting widespread public concern about domestic security and the integration of refugees and other migrants, as well as boosting support for the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
