Refugee Scalds Herself with Hot Water to Avoid Deportation

Unlike many other stories where the Refugee is mature enough to make an informed decision on what they want to do with their lives, this was a completely different story. Mariama, a 19 year old Guinean student at a Berufskolleg in Oberhausen, decided she’d rather end her life rather than be sent back to Spain where she had applied for asylum.

Well you see, Mariama was sold by her uncle to a millionaire Guinean businessman who took her with him to Spain and forced her into prostitution. Before leaving Guinea her uncle had abused her and she’d undergone FGM. She couldn’t fathom going back to either of these places, but by law she should be returned to the country where she applied for asylum.

The immigration officers, were not convinced by her story and wanted her to return to Spain. They (immigration officers) had even organized to fly in the Guinean businessman to Germany to testify against her considering the said man now works as a diplomat in Spain. (Un)fortunately, he wasn’t allowed to travel to Germany. And the immigration officers still didn’t buy her story.

A few weeks ago, on a Monday accompanied by her teacher, she went to the immigration office to try and get her Duldung extended only to be handcuffed like a criminal and have her rights read to her. The officers explain that they were afraid that she’d run away and that’s why she was treated as she was. She was kept in the cells awaiting her deportation and on that Thursday her deportation was set. But she couldn’t fathom going back to Spain and decided instead to scald herself with hot water instead of go back.

The whole saga caused a lot of ripples and discussions about how to handle refugees in Germany who’ve already applied for asylum in other EU countries.

According to the officer who was in-charge of the matter, she says she had given orders in February that Mariama should be allowed to remain in Germany and the case should have been closed, but apparently somebody else took the reins and ordered the deportation without the knowledge nor the consent of the boss.