The deportation of a Russian family from Germany, despite adhering to the principles of church asylum, has sparked outrage and reignited debates surrounding the country’s stance on providing sanctuary to those fleeing persecution or conflict. The family’s expulsion, orchestrated by authorities under the auspices of the European Union’s Dublin Regulation, has called into question the legitimacy of church asylum, a practice deeply rooted in Germany’s humanitarian traditions.
The Russian family, consisting of two parents, an adult son, and a 16-year-old daughter, had initially sought refuge in Germany after the father and son faced conscription into Russia’s war against Ukraine – a conflict they vehemently opposed. Traveling on a visa issued by Spain, the family hoped to join the ranks of more than 13,000 Russian nationals who have sought asylum in the European Union, fleeing the horrors of war.
Despite adhering to the guidelines of church asylum, a principle that typically results in the suspension of deportation orders, the family’s case was deemed a “Dublin Regulation” case, meaning their asylum claim would be processed in Spain, the country where they first entered the EU. This technicality paved the way for their eventual deportation, even as the family cited extenuating circumstances, including the mother’s mental health issues and the daughter’s successful integration into the local community.
The deportation, executed on Sunday, May 12 2024, through a police intervention at the church premises in the German state of Lower Saxony, has sent shockwaves through the country’s religious and humanitarian communities. Tobias Heyden, the pastor of the parish where the family sought sanctuary, expressed profound dismay, stating, “This seizure and arrest of the family on a Sunday and the disregard for church asylum per se shocks and frightens us deeply.”
The incident has also drawn sharp criticism from the Lower Saxony Refugee Council, which condemned the deportation as a “breaking of a social taboo.” Since 1998, state governments in Germany had refrained from forcibly entering church sanctuaries, making this case a turning point in the nation’s approach to church asylum.
The Refugee Council further emphasized that while the deportation order originated from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in Berlin, it was the state government of Lower Saxony that facilitated its execution by issuing the necessary warrants and arranging the deportation flights.
The Ministry of the Interior, in response to the backlash, maintained a firm stance, asserting that “the state legal system does not recognize spaces belonging to the state territory in which legally required measures cannot be enforced.” This stance directly challenges the principle of church asylum, which has long been regarded as an extension of the moral imperative of religious institutions to provide sanctuary to those in need.
The deportation of the Russian family has shed light on a disturbing trend – an escalation in the number of evictions and attempted evictions from church asylum cases across Germany. Last year witnessed a record-high of over 1,500 cases, marking a significant departure from the agreement reached between BAMF and the two major church denominations in 2015, which aimed to respect church asylum in most instances.
Since July 2023, at least seven cases of evictions, attempted evictions, or threats of eviction have been documented, raising concerns about the erosion of this humanitarian practice and the potential consequences for asylum seekers seeking refuge within Germany’s sacred spaces.
As the debate intensifies, the nation finds itself at a crossroads, grappling with the delicate balance between upholding legal obligations and preserving its moral and ethical principles. The resolution of this conflict will undoubtedly shape the future of church asylum in Germany and have far-reaching implications for the treatment of those seeking sanctuary within its borders.