Germany accused over deportation of Afghan asylum seeker

The German government has been accused of breaking its own rules on removing Afghan asylum seekers with a decision to deport a 26-year-old who fears he will be killed if returned, a media report said on Tuesday.

The man is due to be flown out of Germany on Wednesday to a country he has not set foot in since he was five years old, the Guardian said in the report.

The case has focused attention on Germany's acceleration of deportations, which have doubled over the past year. In all, 78 people are due to be deported on Wednesday.

Amnesty has accused Germany and other European countries of breaking international law by returning asylum seekers to Afghanistan at a time when civilian casualties in the country are at their highest.

The deportation is part of a controversial policy in which male Afghan asylum seekers can be returned if they have been convicted of crimes or are considered to be "dangerous" suspects. They can also be sent back if they refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities to clarify their identities.

The man, whose asylum application has been rejected and who has lived in Bayreuth, Bavaria, since 2011, told the Guardian that he was stressed at the prospect of leaving.

"I left and went to Iran then and it was when they tried to deport me and send me back to Afghanistan that I fled for Germany.

"I am afraid because I think someone will kill me in Afghanistan. My father was part of the group who fought against the Taliban."

The Bavarian ministry that deals with immigration refused to comment, saying it could not give detailed information about deportations before they take place.

--IANS

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