Boxing Champ Abdelkader Selmi's Fight Against Deportation
Contender Battles for Stay in Home Country - Boxing Titan Battles against Forced Removal from Country
Stunning turn of events for the 21-year-old German boxing champ, Abdelkader Selmi, originally from Algeria. With a training contract in a profession currently facing a labor shortage and excellent German language skills, Selmi could've been a shining example of successful integration. But alas, they're sending this promising talent with a sword of Damocles hanging over his head towards the plane, lamented Jürgen Reck.
As a chaplain at the vocational Philipp-Holzmann School in Frankfurt, Reck has tirelessly served as a guiding light and support system for over 2,300 students, many of whom hail from diverse ethnic backgrounds for a decade. The past two years, Reck has noticed a troubling shift in the atmosphere; a vanishing "welcome culture" for refugees and immigrants has been replaced with an air of fear and uncertainty.
Outside the school walls, life isn't much rosier. Kids are experiencing harsher treatment, Reck notes. A girl from Afghanistan was an example, nabbed by police during a nighttime raid just a few weeks prior. Her family was forced to return to the Slovakia where they had initially applied for asylum, but two brothers were allowed to remain in Germany. The school retains contact with the former student, and this isn't an isolated case, Reck shares.
What shakes Reck to his core isn't just the plight of those facing imminent deportation, but the growing unease among many students born in Germany, fluent in the language, and loyal to the country. These youngsters want to know: Will I be next?
The Philipp-Holzmann School has established a refugee task force, comprised of six colleagues, to address cases like Selmi's. The Algerian isn't without allies though; his employer, Südwestdeutsche Rohrleitungsbau GmbH, and Eintracht Frankfurt, where he boxes in the first Bundesliga, are both advocates. He took home the German U22 champion title in 2023.
The Selmi case is now before the Petitions Committee of the Hessian state parliament. Despite the meeting on Wednesday, the committee chairman couldn't disclose whether the Selmi case was discussed. At least, Selmi's obligation to leave the country has been temporarily suspended while the committee deliberates.
The committee deals with citizens' concerns about one in every four cases revolving around residency. In 2024, petitions regarding residency have risen substantially - by about 50 percent - to 257. Committee chairman Oliver Ulloth attributes this increase to a catch-up effect after the Corona pandemic and the noticeable staff shortages in foreign authorities. Sometimes, petitioners were seeking assistance because their residence permits hadn't been issued or they couldn't reach the responsible authorities.
Most of the petitioners who approached state parliament members with residency-related concerns in 2024 were Turkish citizens, followed by Moroccans and Iraqis. A petitioner from Guinea, for example, was granted a two-year residence permit and work permit after successfully petitioning through the committee in 2024.
But even the deportation observers at Frankfurt Airport are frequently encountering cases where they cannot fathom the choice of individuals selected for deportation. The observers work on behalf of Diakonie and Caritas. Experienced lawyer in this field, Melisa Ergül-Puopolo, spoke at the presentation of the activity report of the deportation observers in the fall: "They try to deport everyone who can be deported to bear political pressure," the lawyer expressed, finding this "totally incomprehensible." In some cases, people are being deported to the very countries where Germany is actively recruiting labor.
- Boxing
- Germany
- Deportation
- Training Contract
- Migration
- German Language Skills
- Asylum
- Police
- Afghanistan
- Mother
- Slovakia
- Integration
Insight:
Immigration policies in Germany continue to shift to accommodate both economic needs and regulatory oversight, with a focus on attracting skilled workers in tech, engineering, and healthcare sectors. The new government aims to streamline processes, promote compliance, and support family reunification. However, an increase in deportations of skilled immigrants might strain integration efforts, heighten community fears, and impact the economy.
- Despite possessing a training contract in a field facing labor shortage and excellent German language skills, boxing champ Abdelkader Selmi, a refugee, is facing deportation from Germany.
- In 2024, there has been a noticeable increase in petitions regarding residency in Germany, with most of the petitioners being Turkish citizens, followed by Moroccans and Iraqis.
- At the Philipp-Holzmann School in Frankfurt, chaplain Jürgen Reck has observed a vanishing "welcome culture" for refugees and immigrants, replaced with an air of fear and uncertainty.
- The growing unease among many students born in Germany, fluent in the language, and loyal to the country, is driven by cases like Selmi's, as they fear they might be next to be deported.
- According to Melisa Ergül-Puopolo, an experienced lawyer in this field, there is a political pressure leading to the deportation of individuals who can be deported, which she finds totally incomprehensible.
