Portuguese rapper Ivo Vieira Silva, widely known by his stage name 18 Karat, was deported from Germany to his home country of Portugal in the early hours of Wednesday. The artist, who had been incarcerated since his arrest in June 2022, was transported by plane and was only granted the ability to contact his family upon arrival in Portugal, having been removed from Germany without his mobile phone.
The musician had served approximately four years of his sentence, including time spent in pre-trial detention. His legal team had been preparing for a potential conditional release, as German courts were expected to assess the suspension of the remainder of his term within weeks. His lawyer, who described the sudden deportation as a “disgrace to the rule of law,” noted that the artist was in a semi-open prison regime and nearing the completion of vocational training as a painter and varnisher.
Despite the deportation, the artist’s sentence remains active. Should he return to German territory, he faces immediate arrest to serve the final two years of his term. Silva had previously appealed the deportation order issued by Dortmund authorities, which also revoked his right to free movement within the European Union. In his defense, he highlighted his ties to his young daughter, Amalia, and his German partner, with whom he is expecting a second child in September 2026. He argued that these personal connections reduced the risk of reoffending.
However, the Administrative Court of Gelsenkirchen rejected these appeals, citing “compelling reasons of public order” and the severe societal impact of drug trafficking. Authorities had previously seized nearly twelve kilograms of cannabis, along with hashish, ecstasy, and two homemade plantations during their investigation. The court maintained that the rapper showed no evidence of severing ties with the criminal network involved in his offenses. This decision was upheld on Tuesday during an emergency hearing by the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Known for his signature golden mask, Silva burst onto the German rap scene in 2015 with his debut album “FSK 18 Brutal,” and his association with the Banger Musik label. Several of his tracks have racked up between 10 and 30 million streams on Spotify. He revealed his name and Portuguese nationality in 2025. While serving his sentence, he was granted temporary release to marry his partner and attend the birth of his daughter. Although his wife had expressed intentions for the family to relocate to Portugal following his release, the sudden deportation has now enforced that transition ahead of the original legal schedule.
Euronews contacted the Public Security Police (PSP) on Wednesday, the force responsible for policing airport borders in Portugal, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to confirm details of the operation and of 18 Karat's legal and social situation, but received no answers to the questions submitted.
"In my view, that decision should have been given priority," the lawyer said, quoted by Die Zeit, describing the immediate deportation as "a disgrace to the rule of law". Being expelled from Germany entails a much longer ban on re-entry.
