A mandatory exemption for religious events is not provided in the Asylum Procedure Act. "Ultimately, this is always an individual decision by the authorities."
Source/Credit: Merkur-Online.de
By Sebastian Grauvogl | June 10, 2014
Translated by Maleeha Zafar
In his homeland Pakistan Asif Mehmood Jutt has experienced horrible things. He was ostracized, persecuted and threatened. Not because he committed a crime. Jutt wanted to pray. As the 23-year-old is an Ahmadi Muslim, he was not allowed to live his faith in Pakistan. The other Muslims disapproved of his faith. “It was like being in prison”, relates Jutt in good English.
Since September the 23-year-old asylum seeker is living in Hausham. He has not seen his relatives and friends ever since. Many also left their homeland and have been accommodated in different pats of Germany. But they cannot simply visit each other. Asylum seekers like Jutt have a so-called residency obligation.
Without an exemption permit they are only allowed to move within a certain area. For the refugees in the county Miesbach this is the district of upper Bavaria. It is this regulation that is proving a huge problem for Jutt.
From the 13th to 15th June his religious community is holding their 39th yearly congregation in the trade exhibition facilities in Karlsruhe. 26,000 believers from all over the world are expected. In order for Jutt to travel to Karlsruhe at his own costs he needs a permit from the district office. However, the aliens department does not want to grant him the permit. Jutt has even presented an official letter from his religious community to the officials in charge - without success. The young Pakistani is not understanding the world anymore: “I thought, I am in a free country now”, he says frustrated. Instead he feels like in prison here too.
Gerhard Brandl, deputy press officer of the district office confirms the position of the aliens department in Miesbach: “It is true that we drive a rather restrictive line here in this county.” But this was legally in order. A mandatory exemption for religious events is not provided in the Asylum Procedure Act. "Ultimately, this is always an individual decision by the authorities," says Brandl. Only if an urgent public or private interest is present could a “vacation leave” be granted. Examples would be a court hearing or a death in the family.
An explanation that is hard to accept for Jutt. Many of his friends who are asylum seekers from other counties have been allowed to travel to the gathering, he says. “Some even stay for two weeks.” However, for him the county of Eichstätt - the northern border of upper Bavaria is the end. Even though Jutt is better off in Hausham than in his homeland - he does not really feel free.
Read original post here: Germany: “Like being in prison” | Asylum seeker not allowed to travel to religious gathering
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