Iceland review - 2019, Page 15

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Denying review
Icelandic authorities have twice denied
reviewing the families’ cases as they’ve
already received international protec-
tion in Greece. The families’ lawyer,
Magnús Davíð Nordahl, has repeatedly
called for due processing of the families’
applications for asylum. However, a new
legal amendment implemented recently
by Minister of Justice Þórdís Kolbrún
Reykfjörð gives both families some hope.
The amendment requires the Directorate
of Immigration to process asylum applica-
tions of children, even if they have already
gained international protection status
in another country, when 10 months have
passed from the date the application was
received by Icelandic authorities. The only
caveat is that the cases will not be han-
dled by the Directorate if the delays were
caused by the applicants themselves. Both
families fulfil these conditions: the Sarwari
family has been living in Iceland for the
last 11 months, and the Safari family for 10
months. The rule change from the Minister
comes directly in the wake of public calls to
give the families applications due process-
ing, and not to deport the young children.
Fragile families
In the case of the Sarwary family, single
father Asadullah is set to be deported
with his ten- and nine-year-old sons,
Mahdi and Ali. The Safari family consists
of single mother Shahnaz, her 12-year-old
son Amir, and her 14-year-old daughter,
Zainab. In both cases, the deportations
have been postponed due to the children
suffering psychological breakdowns
over the impending deportations. One of
Asadullah’s sons experienced a psycho-
logical breakdown while Zainab Safari is
believed to be on the verge of despondency
should she suffer another setback.
The Safari family is originally from
Afghanistan, but lived for some time in
Iran after being forced to flee their home
country. From Iran, the family crossed
the mountains to Turkey before travers-
ing the sea on a flimsy boat to Greece in
2016, where they endured a harsh life on
the street. A psychologist has adjudged
14-year-old Zainab’s mental state to be
too fragile to endure being sent back to
Asylum Seeker Deportations
Words by
Jóhann Páll Ástvaldsson
Photography by
Golli
IN FOCUS
The impending deportations of two
Afghan families seeking asylum in
Iceland have been heavily criticised in
recent weeks. The families in question
are the Sarwary and Safari families,
who have been granted international
protection status in Greece. Icelandic
authorities intend to deport the families
based on that status. In both cases, the
families will be deported back to Greece,
where the Red Cross has deemed living
conditions unfit for refugees.