Darmstadt: Arrested and deported: Omar F.’s case raises questions

• fromClaudia Kabel

  –

  shut down

–

The 28-year-old Omar F. from Darmstadt was deported to Somalia in February. The protest against it is increasing.

Darmstadt – The arrest and deportation of 28-year-old Omar F. from Darmstadt continues to create waves. After protests and criticism from refugee aid organizations and the left, the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband Hessen, Diakonie Hessen, the Hessian Refugee Council and Pro Asyl are now calling for an immediate three-month ban on deportations to the civil war country Somalia.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Volker Bouffier, Interior Minister Peter Beuth (both CDU), Vice Prime Minister Tarek Al-Wazir (Greens) and the leaders of the CDU and Greens it is said: “This deportation is a taboo break. It is unacceptable that Hesse should be the first federal state to deport a well-integrated person who has not been guilty of anything into a life-threatening situation. ”The case had sparked great fears in the Somali community.

Deportation of Omar F. from Darmstadt to Somalia

Omar F. lived in Germany for almost eight years and wanted the Bad Homburg immigration office to extend his leave of absence. He was arrested there in mid-February and flown out two days later. The circumstances of his deportation raise questions, the letter says. “Why was someone who was obviously not fugitive, had a permanent place of residence and a job, taken into custody? Has the immigration authority deliberately ignored the politically wanted and legally possible right to stay safe? “

So far, deportations to the crisis-ridden African country have in fact been suspended. Refugees from Somalia were seen as a group with good prospects to stay. According to the Ministry of the Interior, only four deportations took place between 2018 and 2020. There are currently 601 Somali nationals in Hesse who are obliged to leave the country.

Deportation of Omar F. from Darmstadt to Somalia

The associations not only demand the three-month suspension of deportations, which the highest state authority can order under the Residence Act “for international law or humanitarian reasons”, but also that Hesse bring the issue to the Conference of Interior Ministers in June in order to achieve a nationwide ban on deportations to Somalia. Günter Burkhardt, Managing Director of Pro Asyl, called for this in the Frankfurter Rundschau last week.

Somalia ranks second in the Indexes of the world’s most fragile states. According to the letter, the situation has worsened due to the pandemic. In addition, Omar F. should be brought back. This is possible with a residence permit for a purpose of residence not provided for by law if there is the political will to correct the mistake. (Claudia Kabel)

–