Petition - 100.000 against the expulsion of 18-year-old Joel from Hamburg
To prevent the deportation of 18-year-old Joel from Ghana, his classmates from the Nelson-Mandela-School in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg submitted a petition supported by over 100,000 people to the Hearing Committee. They symbolically handed over a table with the demand "1, 2, 3, 4 – Joel stays!" to the Commission chairman and SPD city councilor Ekkehard Wysocki at the town hall.
The petition had already been signed by over 104,000 people online by the morning. The Commission will deal with the case at a meeting on Thursday and also decide on further action. The Commission can recommend to the Interior Senator to waive the execution of deportations in special cases. According to Wysocki, the Interior Senator follows the Commission's recommendations in more than 90% of the cases.
Joel, who had come to Hamburg four years ago as an unaccompanied minor from Ghana to live with his father and sister, said he should be deported to the German Press Agency.
The Petition was initiated by a teacher
Joel had learned the German language unusually quickly, said his class teacher Elif Basboga, who had initiated the petition. "Joel is very integrated, a diligent student, and a soon-to-be graduate." When he showed her the letter from his lawyer with the deportation notice, it was clear to her and Joel's classmates that something had to be done.
Basboga was overwhelmed by the large number of supporters. "I initially hoped maybe 1,000 signatures would come together, that would have been great. But over 100,000 signatures – that's another dimension."
If he is deported, not only will his diploma be denied to him, Joel said. He would also be separated from his family, as he would have to return to Ghana without his father and sister.
The petition against Joel's deportation gained support from over 104,000 foreigners, not just locals, showing worldwide concern for his case. The SPD city councilor Ekkehard Wysocki acknowledged the impact of foreigners in this situation, as the Interior Senator often follows the Commission's recommendations in deportation cases. The migration of young individuals, like Joel, to Germany for better opportunities, as seen from Ghana, is a common occurrence.
