Germany plans to deport asylum seekers whose applications have failed once it completes all procedures in line with international migration laws, a top official has said.
The German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Bernhard Schlagheck, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, said the exercise would be a continuous one.
The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, had said in January that more than 12,000 Nigerian asylum seekers in the country might be denied asylum status if they did not meet application requirements.
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“Germany has been doing its uttermost to comply with its international humanitarian obligations with regard to migrants and refugees enshrined, for instance, in the Geneva refugee convention and in particular with the prohibition of forced return in cases of political prosecution.
“If the internal and legal procedures in Germany have been concluded and basically asylum applications have been denied, then we will ask the migrants to leave and return home; if they do not, we will subtly deport them.
“So this will certainly be an ongoing exercise as long as there are migrants who are not entitled to stay in Germany.’’
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Schlagheck told NAN that Germany was working with the Nigerian government to facilitate procedures for returning asylum seekers and illegal migrants.
He further said that efforts were being made to continually return illegal migrants and assist with support for them.
The envoy did not, however, state the number of illegal Nigerian migrants that had been deported from Germany so far.
“I would say the figures are somewhat sketchy, but certainly we will see to it that persons who are not entitled to stay in Germany and do not have a humanitarian title to remain, have to leave.
“And here we are very strict and compliant with international norms and rules.
“There is a common interest and good cooperation with the Nigerian Government on that; this is a whole package that currently is being negotiated between the EU mission for all the European countries and the government of Nigeria,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the German constitution recognises several categories of asylum seekers and refugees which include those seeking protection from political persecution and those seeking protection as refugees.
An individual can earn refugee status if faced with a justified fear of persecution in the home country based on race, nationality, religion, membership of a social group, and/or political beliefs.
Another category includes those who qualify under subsidiary protection if at risk of serious injury in home country due to armed conflict, torture or inhumane treatment or one who faces the death penalty.
Individuals who do not qualify in any of the aforementioned categories maybe granted Prohibition of Deportation status if they truly face a substantial concrete danger or extreme general danger at their home country.
Those who apply for asylum for economic reasons are usually rejected. (NAN)