As Germany expands anti-Hamas raids, a Palestinian activist fights against deportation
Caught in a web of geopolitics, migration policy and Germany’s growing attempts to contend with pro-Palestinian speech, Zaid Abdulnasser is fighting a battle to avoid deportation from his new home.
BERLIN — Zaid Abdulnasser received a letter from a familiar government address in July. The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) had granted the Palestinian refugee asylum years before. Since then, Abdulnasser had become an active participant in pro-Palestine activism. In this recent letter, BAMF claimed these actions were “extremist activities” that could warrant deportation. The 29-year-old is now at risk of expulsion from his home in Germany.
But Abdulnasser can’t be deported — at least for now. His temporary protection lies in the fact that Germany does not recognize Palestine as a state. In an ironic twist of fate, the very cause threatening the activist’s status might momentarily protect him from expulsion.
“It’s a big mess legally,” said Abdulnasser at an event in Berlin last month. “I don't know where this will go, to be honest.”
Stark implications for asylum seekers
