Dozens of people in Germany helped prevent the deportation of an Iranian asylum seeker
A 27-year-old Iranian convert who had been confined to a Protestant church in Solingen for ten months was saved from deportation with the support of a pastor and a group of members. He was scheduled to be returned to his country of origin on Monday morning, January 7th.
Dozens of members of a Protestant church in the western German city of Solingen joined forces to prevent the deportation of an Iranian asylum seeker who is being sheltered by the church after his asylum application was rejected.
The police and the Foreigners' Office have not released his details to protect his privacy, but German media say he is 27 years old, has learned German and has had a room in the church since March 2018. The church's pastor has praised his good integration into the environment.
Local immigration officers were supposed to return the young man to his country of origin at 5 a.m. on Monday, January 7. He converted to Christianity in his home country, entered France legally with a visa, but later returned to Germany.
According to the Dublin Regulation, this young man only has the right to apply for asylum in France.
The newspaper "Bild" writes that the Iranian refugee did not leave the church when the officers arrived, and the priest, relying on the right of "four walls", did not allow anyone to enter the place. Dozens of people present in the church, holding candles, prevented the young man from leaving.
Pastor Christian Lerch told the media: "A week ago, when we received a fax about the deportation of this young man, we decided to organize a movement to support him." He emphasized that the intention was not to break the law, but to ensure that the asylum seeker's case was handled properly and fairly: "He should be returned to France according to the Dublin Regulation, but this country is not safe at all for Christian converts... If they are returned to Iran, the minimum punishment for them will be prison."
German media reported that immigration officers spoke to the Iranian through the window and he said that he would not leave the church under any circumstances.
Since 2015, when a flood of refugees arrived in Germany and the number of negative responses increased, the number of church sit-ins has also increased. So far, the relevant authorities have not resorted to force to expel refugees who take refuge in churches and have remained restrained.
Asylum seekers who do not have the right to reside legally in Germany can be supported by the church, but church officials are obliged to cooperate with the relevant authorities to comply with the law and to appoint someone to act as a liaison for the asylum seeker with the Foreigners' Office. Delays in this regard are considered to be a form of absconding and can lead to a delay of several months in processing the asylum application.
The German news agency writes that the young Iranian man filed a complaint with the Düsseldorf Administrative Court after his asylum application was rejected, and the case is still open. He has until mid-April to complete his case.
Some German sources have stated that the young man's age is 28. Reports also indicate that the number of people who came out to support him fluctuated between 100 and 200 people.
Source: DW
