Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania - Large police force ends resistance to deportation
The police in Schwerin have put an end to resistance to a planned deportation with a large contingent and special forces. According to a police spokeswoman, a family of six had barricaded themselves in the apartment of a church congregation early on Wednesday morning when police officers tried to enforce the deportation of two young men aged 18 and 22. The Refugee Council criticized the action. For the first time in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a church asylum had been broken by the police, thus crossing a red line, according to a press release issued in Schwerin.
After around four hours of trying to stay in contact with the family and persuade them to open the door, the police spokeswoman said that the police finally forced their way into the apartment "using simple physical force". It was discovered that the 22-year-old had probably injured himself with a piece of broken glass. The mother was said to be in a state of mental distress. Both were taken to hospital in a waiting ambulance.
"During the search of all persons, knives were found hidden on the bodies of the mother, the 22-year-old son and the daughter," the police announced after the operation was completed. Criminal proceedings were initiated against the 47-year-old mother for threats and coercion. No other people or emergency services were injured during the operation. There was no danger to outsiders at any time. Special police forces had arrived in the morning with a battering ram and chainsaw. However, the equipment was not used, it was reported.
Men were to be taken to Spain
According to a spokesperson for the North Church, the men in question were a family of six from Afghanistan whose two adult sons were to be deported. This had been ordered by the immigration authorities in Kiel. Both were reportedly to be taken to Spain. They had entered the EU there. According to the church spokesperson, the family was staying in an apartment on the edge of a prefabricated housing estate in Schwerin, which is provided for refugees by the local parish.
The police had initially spoken of two Iraqi men who were to be deported, but then corrected this. According to the authorities, in addition to the mother and the 22 and 18-year-old sons, the family also includes the 49-year-old father, a 13-year-old daughter and a ten-year-old son. All of them were Afghan nationals.
A local resident reported that two police patrol cars had driven up to the community center in the morning. Shortly afterwards, loud screams were heard from a woman. According to the police, she had tried to prevent the deportation of the two young men. The police spokeswoman was initially unable to say whether this would happen later in the day.
Refugee Council criticizes
The Refugee Council spoke of a frightening signal to refugees. "They shouldn't even feel safe at Christmas. However, this signal is also directed at church communities, which are now unsure whether they can continue to offer refugees refuge and hope," the statement continued. A spokesperson also complained that the administrative assistance mission was apparently based on false information, as the initial reference was to Iraqis.
Church asylum refers to the temporary accommodation of refugees in church premises who are threatened with danger to life and limb or violations of their human rights if they are deported. There have been more such cases in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern this year than in the recent past. By the end of November, there were 25 people across the state, according to the Nordkirche. The last time a higher figure was reached was in 2018, when 51 people were granted church asylum in the north-east. In 2022 there were ten, in the two years before that 21 and seven.
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- The Refugee Council in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern strongly criticized the police action, stating that it crossed a red line by breaking into a church asylum.
- The men who were supposed to be deported were part of a large contingent of refugees from Afghanistan, with two young adults aged 18 and 22 among them.
- Germany's immigration authorities in Kiel had ordered the deportation of the two young adults, planning to send them to Spain, where they had initially entered the EU.
- In an effort to prevent their deportation, the family barricaded themselves in the church asylum and resisted the police for several hours.
- The police used "simple physical force" to gain entry, leading to injuries for the 22-year-old son who allegedly cut himself on broken glass and the mother who was in a state of distress.
- Germane authorities faced backlash and criticism for the use of force, with the Refugee Council expressing concern about the safety of refugees and church communities who offer refuge and hope.
- This incident in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is not an isolated case, as church asylum has become more common in recent years, with 25 people seeking shelter as of November 2022, according to the Nordkirche.
Source: www.stern.de
