Criminalized, Brutalized, Stigmatized

To regulate migration, Germany is employing involuntary removals of rejected asylum seekers. It has been argued that such deportations violate basic human rights. Although some research has been done on deportation practices in various countries, not much attention has been placed on the actual experience of the deportees. This inquiry explores the perspectives and deportation experiences of former asylum seekers who have been deported from Germany to Sierra Leone. The research shows that the deportees experienced criminalization, brutalization and stigmatization. Brutal techniques are used that disregard human rights, in particular in the case of rejected asylum seekers who resisted their removal most. It is concluded that deportation is an inhumane treatment that affects the deportees in negative ways beyond the actual deportation experience.