A German-born schoolgirl sobbed as she was removed from class and deported to Nepal hours later - despite never having set foot in the country.

Bivsi Rana was given no notice before police arrived at her class in Steinbart School Duisburg in North Rhine-Westphalia and told her she had to leave.

The 14-year-old was put on a flight to south Asia hours later with her parents, who had travelled to Europe as asylum seekers from Nepal 15 years ago.

German authorities refused the couple's asylum claim and say they had no choice but to act after their permit to stay expired in 2013.

Daniela Lesmeister, head of the legal department of the city, insists families cannot be given advance notice of deportation proceedings for security reasons.

But the way Ms Rana was treated left her classmates "traumatised" and caused her best friend to collapse in tears, according to local media.

Bivsi's teacher, Sascha Tamm, said he was also affected by the "degrading" scenes.

She said: "The English teacher and I immediately decided that we would go to the park with the class to explain the situation.

"All the girls were crying, they were not comforting. A girl - her best friend - even collapsed, we had to get the emergency doctor.

"Even the guys, who normally behaved rather behave in such situations, were completely finished. I simply do not understand how deportation could be done in this brutal and degrading way.

"Those who organised them were apparently not at all clear about how many children they had traumatised. It was also a hard experience for me."

Ms Rana's parents are said to be trying to get her back to Germany, where her older brother, aged 18, remains.