Hundreds of Somali refugees have protested against a plan by the German government to forcibly deport…
Hundreds of Somali refugees have protested against a plan by the German government to forcibly deport them as their asylum claims have been rejected.
The protests took place in several cities over last week. The refugees say being forced to return would amount to a death sentence.
‘’This is inhumane because we fled from our country due to war and violation of our basic rights…. this is not the right time to go back,’’ said Abshir Hirsi.
Reports say that the German government plans to deport tens of thousands of refugees including many number of Somali nationals whose requests for asylum have been denied.
According to the German Press, the government is planning to use C-160 military transport planes to deport nearly 200,000 people who have been declared by the German state to be “economic migrants” and ineligible for asylum.
‘’How come they recognized only Eritreans and Syrians as refugees and we rejected. We are all in the same category,’’ said Ahmed Osman, who has been living in the town of Friedland for the last two years.
This comes after the passage of a bill in the German parliament that slashes social aid to refugees who qualify for assistance and expands the number of countries from which refugees are to be denied asylum in accelerated proceedings last year.
Somalia government clearly refused several times to receive refugees who have been forcibly deported.
Tens of thousands of Somalis fled the country after the Central Government was overthrown in 1991 and civil war emerged. Most went to neighbouring countries but large numbers sought sanctuary in Europe and North America.
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