A police raid in Ellwangen, Germany, on 30 April 2018 led to clashes between the German police and migrants living there. A second raid was conducted on 3 May 2018, in which 12 people were injured. The case received national as well as international media attention, sparking the public debate about migrant integration and the deportation process.[1][2]

Background

The migrant reception center "Landeserstaufnahmeeinrichtung Ellwangen" (LEA) was established in April 2015 in some buildings of the Reinhardt-Kaserne in Ellwangen, a former military facility. Immigrants who arrive in the administrative district of Stuttgart are brought to this center for their registration, health checks and the start of an asylum procedure. They usually stay for some weeks in Ellwangen, before they are assigned to other towns. The facility was once planned to have a capacity of 500 - 1000 inhabitants.[3]

Incidents

In the morning hours of Monday, 30 April 2018, four police officers went with two patrol cars to the migrant reception center to arrest the 23-year-old Yussif O., an asylum seeker from Togo, who was scheduled for deportation to Italy.[4] They found Yussif O. in the center and arrested him. When the officers tried to leave the site, they were surrounded by about 150 migrant reception residents who threatened them and damaged one police car, preventing the police officers from leaving.[2] Alassa Mfouapon, from Cameroon, co-organized the asylum seekers,[5][6] "[7] It would have taken hours for police reinforcements to arrive..[8][1][9]

Three days later a second raid was conducted with hundreds of policemen to re-establish the rule of law.[2][10] They arrested Yussif O. In addition, several persons suspected of drugs offences were arrested, and 17 residents were moved of the hostel, home to around 500 mostly African asylum seekers, to other locations.[1] 27 asylum seekers offered resistance, while some were injured, when they jumped out of the windows.[2] 292 people were checked, twelve people were injured in total, among these one police officer.[11][12]

Bernhard Weber, the vice president of the Ellwangen police regional authority (German: Vizepräsident des Polizeipräsidiums Ellwangen),[13] said they acted because of concerns that a "lawless area with organised structures" was developing at the shelter.[14]

Aftermath

On 8 May 2018, the Stuttgart Administrative Court ruled that the deportation order for the man from Togo to Italy was legal.[15] O. then called the Federal Constitutional Court.[16] On 14 May 2018, the Constitutional Court ruled that O. could be deported, and he was deported to Italy subsequently.[17] Die Zeit reported his case and that he arrived in Milan,[18][19] but Die Welt reported that he was in Rome and homeless;[20] It was discovered by police in Milan that he was not a Togo national[21] and that he wanted to go back to his homeland Ghana.[22]

On 10 May, the inhabitants of the shelter offered a press conference. Alassa Mfouapon said: "We are not criminals."[23]

On 11 May, African inhabitants of the migrant shelter in Ellwangen held a small march to protest deportations, joined by "a few greying activists" from the Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany.[24]

Alassa Mfouapon, the co-organizer of the April 30th insurrection event, was deported to Italy,[25] but returned to Germany a few months later and now lives in Karlsruhe.[26][27] In a reportage by public broadcaster Südwestrundfunk, it was said Mfouapon might not be an instigator of rebellion, but only a resister who is now back in Germany.[28]

Reactions

Mit einem wichtigen Teilerfolg endete der Prozess von Alassa Mfouapon gegen das Land Baden-Württemberg. „Die Kammer kam zu dem Ergebnis, dass die gegenüber dem Kläger im Rahmen der Razzia am 03.05.2018 getroffenen polizeilichen Maßnahmen unverhältnismäßig waren.“ Das betrifft sowohl den Zeitpunkt um kurz nach fünf Uhr morgens, als auch, so die Pressemitteilung des Gerichts „das Betreten und Durchsuchen des Zimmers des Klägers, das Durchsuchen des Klägers und das Festsetzen des Klägers unter Anlegen von Einmal-Handschließen“ (die Bewohner wurden damals mit Kabelbindern gefesselt und zu Boden gebracht). Auch dass ihm bei seiner Abschiebung nach Italien am 20. Juni 2018 sein Portemonnaie weggenommen wurde und auch auf Aufforderung nicht herausgegeben wurde, war rechtswidrig. Damit ist das Gericht der Klage teilweise gefolgt! Dieser wichtige Teilerfolg lässt auch die damaligen massiven Äußerungen der grün-schwarzen Landesregierung wie des Bundesinnenministers, die die Flüchtlinge als kriminell brandmarken wollten, in einem anderen Licht erscheinen – denn offensichtlich war es die Polizei, die damals das Recht gebrochen hat!alien am 20. Juni 2018 sein Portemonnaie weggenommen wurde und auch auf Aufforderung nicht herausgegeben wurde, war rechtswidrig. Damit ist das Gericht der Klage teilweise gefolgt! Dieser wichtige Teilerfolg lässt auch die damaligen massiven Äußerungen der grün-schwarzen Landesregierung wie des Bundesinnenministers, die die Flüchtlinge als kriminell brandmarken wollten, in einem anderen Licht erscheinen – denn offensichtlich war es die Polizei, die damals das Recht gebrochen hat!

Reacting to the legal proceedings led by Yussif O. and his lawyer, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) spoke of an "anti-deportation industry", working to prevent legal deportations.[29][30] This was heavily criticized by the German Bar Association, and complaints against him were made by some lawyers.[31] Dobrindt hardened his criticism, speaking of "deportation saboteurs". The Left, a German political party, accused Dobrindt of "poisoning" the "social peace", while Baden-Württemberg deputy Minister President Thomas Strobl (CDU) expressed his support for Dobrindt and called his criticism "comprehensible".[32] As a consequence of the case, other CDU politicians, such as Saxony Minister President Michael Kretschmer demanded a reduction in development aid for countries that fail to cooperate with deportations.[33] Armin Schuster (CDU) stated: "In our constitutional state, there are clear red lines, which are now deliberately exceeded almost daily by asylum seekers." He demanded quicker deportations for criminal asylum seekers.[34]

Winfried Kretschmann (Greens), Minister President of Baden-Württemberg, thanked the police, adding: "We do not tolerate any legal vacuum, and this attack on police officers must be punished". As a consequence of the events, Irene Mihalic of the Green Party criticized plans of the Federal government, especially the Interior Ministry, to establish "anchor centres" (Ankerzentren) for migrants, which are planned by the government to organize faster deportations.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Clashes at migrant hostel stir German integration fears, Reuters, 3 May 2018
  2. 1 2 3 4 German police catch fugitive asylum-seeker following raid, Deutsche Welle, 3 May 2018
  3. ↑ Stadt Ellwangen: Landeserstaufnahmeeinrichtung Ellwangen (LEA), retrieved 2 August 2018
  4. ↑ Scores of refugees attack German police cars over deportation case, Deutsche Welle, 3 May 2018
  5. ↑ Nach Unruhe in Ellwangen: Flüchtling lebt jetzt in Karlsruhe In: bnn.de. 4. January 2019.
  6. ↑ "Why was he allowed to enter Germany again?". Bild (in German). 31 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019. he also organized the "solidary and non-violent" resistance to the deportation of Togolese Yussif O., which was then escalated by "martial police violence".
  7. ↑ "Following a brutal and politically motivated deportation: Alassa Mfouapon must be returned immediately and be granted political asylum in Germany!". MLPD.de. Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany. 2018. p. en. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019. he soon becomes a confidant, a speaker, a friend and organizer among refugees – their "leader".
  8. ↑ Hundreds of migrants in German town prevent deportation of man to Congo, The Independent, 2 May 2018, falsely claiming the man was from Congo
  9. ↑ Cockburn, Harry (2 May 2018). "Hundreds of migrants in German town prevent deportation of man to Congo". The Independent. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  10. ↑ Markus Melzl (24 May 2018). "The trauma of Ellwangen". Basler Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 17 June 2018. The fact that the rule of law could only be restored through the use of hundreds of policemen clearly shows that such an action is doomed to failure
  11. 1 2 Grüne kritisieren Pläne für Sammelunterkünfte, Die Zeit, 3 May 2018
  12. ↑ David Falkner (4 January 2019). "After unrest in Ellwangen: Refugee now lives in Karlsruhe". Badische Neueste Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 16 January 2019. twelve people were injured in the operation, including one civil servant
  13. ↑ "Seehofer über Ellwangen: "Schlag ins Gesicht der rechtstreuen Bevölkerung"". FAZ.NET (in German). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  14. ↑ "Clashes at migrant hostel stir German integration fears". Reuters U.K. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-09. Senior officer Bernhard Weber said police believed a 'lawless area with organised structures' was developing at the hostel to prevent authorities carrying out deportations, so they took action.
  15. ↑ Abschiebung des Togoers nach Italien zulässig, Stuttgarter Zeitung, 8 May 2018
  16. ↑ Togoer klagt in Karlsruhe gegen Abschiebung, Zeit.de, 11 May 2018
  17. ↑ Togolese Yussif O. ist abgeschoben, Berliner Zeitung, 15 May 2018
  18. ↑ "Ellwangen: Was wurde aus Yussif O.?". ZEIT ONLINE (in German). 24 May 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  19. ↑ "Togolese asylum-seeker who fought deportation lands in Italy". Deutsche Welle. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018. The man has arrived in Milan one day after authorities denied his appeal to stay in Germany.
  20. ↑ Abgeschobener Togoer aus Ellwangen jetzt obdachlos in Rom, Die Welt, 23 May 2018
  21. ↑ "Deferred refugee apparently comes from Ghana". Wochen Kurier (in German). 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018. When he arrived in Italy in 2017, he also had Ghanaian papers with him. When entering Germany, however, the man had claimed to have no papers.
  22. ↑ "Deported refugee from Ellwangen lives homeless in Rome". Die Zeit (in German). 23 May 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018. He was not from Togo, but Ghana and wanted to go back there.
  23. ↑ "Why Ellwangen's refugees fear Italy". Stuttgarter Nachrichten (in German). 10 May 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019. That which was reported last week, we are not," says Alassa. "We are not criminals.
  24. ↑ ""Stopp, stopp, stopp Deportation"". Schwäbisches Tagblatt online (in German). Retrieved 2018-11-20. Die da nun mit „Pace"-Fahnen und Trommeln durch die Stadt ziehen, sehen nicht wie Schwerverbrecher aus. Auch mischen sich keine linksextremen Krawallmacher unter die Schar. Nur einige ergraute Aktivisten der Marxistisch-Leninistischen Partei (MLPD) stimmen „Hoch die internationale Solidarität!" an.
  25. ↑ "Deported Cameroonian is back in Germany". Südwestrundfunk (in German). 29 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019. Alassa Mfouapon from Cameroon organized a demonstration against a police operation in May at the Landeserstaufnahmeeinrichtung (LEA) in Ellwangen (Ostalbkreis) together with other asylum seekers. He was then deported to Italy in June.
  26. ↑ Falkner, David (4 December 2019). "After unrest in Ellwangen: Refugee now lives in Karlsruhe". BNN (in German). Retrieved 16 January 2019. Following his deportation, the Cameroonian, who co-organized the demonstration of asylum seekers, filed a lawsuit against the police operation from Italy, reports the SWR. The man named Alassa Mfouapon also has supporters in Germany
  27. ↑ "Alassa Mfouapon is back!". Rote Fahne News (in German). 22 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  28. ↑ "Why Alassa Mfouapon came back". Südwestrundfunk (in German). 8 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019. In Medienberichten wurde Alassa Mfouapon aus Kamerun vorgeworfen, er habe einen Flüchtlingsaufstand angezettelt. Dagegen wehrt sich der 29-Jährige. Nach seiner Abschiebung ist er wieder in Deutschland.
  29. ↑ Der Staatsfeind, Die Zeit, 23 May 2018
  30. ↑ Dobrindt beklagt "Anti-Abschiebe-Industrie", Der Spiegel, 6 May 2018
  31. ↑ Anwälte zeigen Alexander Dobrindt an, Frankfurter Rundschau, 22 May 2018
  32. ↑ Dobrindt setzt noch einen drauf, Tagesschau, 13 May 2018
  33. ↑ Union droht mit Entzug von Entwicklungshilfe, Frankfurter Allgemeine, 6 May 2018
  34. ↑ Geflüchteter Togolese gefunden, Frankfurter Allgemeine, 3 May 2018
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