"Ehsan.M.", an Iranian Christian citizen on the verge of deportation from Germany

Thomas Balbirer announced the expulsion of Iranian Christian citizen Ehsan M. from Germany.

Thomas Balbirer, a reporter for the Süddeutsche newspaper, criticized German policies that are very strict regarding refugees in Germany, and called the decision to expel Ehsan M., an Iranian Christian citizen, from the country irresponsible and shocking.

Ehsan, a 34-year-old Iranian who works at an Amazon warehouse in Bavaria, Germany, is now at risk of being deported to Iran. This decision by German authorities has sparked widespread concern and criticism, given the human rights situation in Iran and the risk to life for Christian citizens.

According to the Süddeutsche newspaper, he had left for the Amazon logistics center near Augsburg on Tuesday, March 19, to work the night shift, as he has done in recent months. His brother, Hussein, announced that Ehsan was arrested by police on Wednesday evening on his way to the Amazon warehouse and is now on the verge of being deported from Germany and returned to Iran.

Ehsan's asylum application was rejected in 2019 and he has since been living in Germany on a so-called "Doldung" or "tolerated status" residence permit. In the fall of 2022, the interior ministers of the German federal states decided to halt the deportation of rejected Iranian refugees due to the uncertain situation in Iran following the nationwide protests that began with the killing of Mahsa Amini. However, this directive expired at the end of 2023 and the federal states did not extend the order to halt the deportation of Iranian refugees.

The decision to expel Ehsan.M. was against the wishes of the German Interior Ministry, and a spokesperson for the ministry said in this regard, while noting that the human rights situation in Iran has not improved since the protests of Mahsa Amini's uprising: "Interior Minister Nancy Fezer has great respect for the courage of the people who have stood up for freedom and human rights in Iran. Therefore, the German Interior Ministry supported and agreed with the extension of this directive."

According to Ehsan's brother, Hussein, he contacted Ehsan at the deportation detention center in Aichstadt on Monday and Ehsan said that he was going to be deported to Tehran on Wednesday and that the flight ticket had been purchased in advance. Hussein stressed that his brother would face great difficulties in Iran because he had participated in anti-government protests before fleeing Iran and was also active in the Protestant church.

"Considering that leaving Islam and adopting other religions is a major crime in Iran, Ehsan is in danger," said journalist Balbirer regarding Ehsan's expulsion. "The planned expulsion of an Iranian Amazon employee is just one specific example of an overly restrictive asylum policy."

The journalist called the decision of the interior ministers of the German states not to extend the ban on the deportation of Iranian refugees a scandal and stated that Germany cannot guarantee that the deported people will not be subjected to arbitrary detention or torture. He criticized the decision of the ministers and considered it an inhuman act, adding: “Do the Bavarian authorities really intend to expose a man who works here, pays taxes and is an active member of the Protestant church to such a serious risk? This would be extremely irresponsible and shocking.”