Mathias Rohe on the deportation of clan leader Ibrahim Miri

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Foto: dpa/Michael Kappeler (RP Online)

In a Focus Online article (12 July 2019) EZIRE-Director and Islam expert Mathias Rohe talks aboutthe nightly deportation of Ibrahim Miri to Lebanon.

The head of the infamous clan was apparently deported to Lebanon in a night and fog action planned for months. So far, Ibrahim Miri, whose clan has been accused of the most serious crimes and, among other things, of trafficking in drugs and weapons, could not be deported due to his statelessness. The tough crackdown is a clear signal to the criminal members of the Arab extended families, but a broad wave of deportations will certainly not follow. The Bremen Senate of the Interior pointed out that a separate foreigners authority had recently been established in the interior department. Its only goal: deportations of seriously criminal foreigners. It was therefore to be assumed that other clan members would receive unexpected visits in the near future. But there are not many of them, which is due to the months of preparation, the willingness of Lebanon as well as the German citizenship of a large part (36 percent) of the criminal clan members.

Clan expert Mathias Rohe praised the handling of Ibrahim Miri as a “perfect warning shot”. He warned, however, against believing that Germany could now get rid of the problematic people from this milieu on a large scale. Finally, in addition to the practical difficulties, it should always be noted that these people have often lived here for many years and that deportation also affects their relatives who are not delinquents, such as children. And, according to Rohe: “Criminal activities are not stopped immediately as a result, as deportees from abroad can continue to exert influence. In any case, this does not solve the fundamental problem.”