Deportation detention proceedings

A contribution by Stefan Keßler/Dr. Sabine Mock

A position paper requires that deportees in detention have a legal right to a lawyer appointed by the court. The Jesuit Refugee Service and over 50 organizations support this demand. People in deportation detention are often not criminals and may suffer severe physical or mental harm. The German constitution guarantees legal rights which, however, often cannot be effectively utilized because there is no lawyer appointed. There are frequently errors in judicial detention order proceedings. The UN Special Rapporteur for migrants has already in the year 2002 stated that legal representation of individuals in detention is crucial.