After years of back and forth and several attempts, Ulm-born Kurd Muhammed Tunç has been deported to Turkey. His family says: "There was a lot of discussion and writing about this beforehand. This phase was very hard for us as a family, but especially for Muhammed himself. Many people have worked to prevent this deportation. This commitment has given us strength again and again. For this we thank each and every one personally. We will never forget that.

"He doesn't know Turkey and doesn't really speak the language"

But we are also disappointed; disappointed by the German authorities, who tore our family apart, just as it was torn apart more than 50 years ago when we came to Germany, which then became our home; at least that's what we thought.

Muhammed was born here, went to school here and grew up here. He did not know Erzurum, or only from our stories. He also doesn't know Turkey and he doesn't really speak the language. Of all places, he was deported to the country we had to leave at that time. Until the last moment, we had believed that reason would prevail in the German authorities.

"After more than 33 years, a stranger who can be deported".

The fact that he was deported because of his past criminal record is a pretext put forward to cover up how much racism is at play in many decision-making processes by the German authorities. Of course, we as a family also bear responsibility for the fact that he has committed a criminal offense. But if, after more than 33 years, he is still seen as a stranger who can be deported, then this shows exactly what logic prevails in many authorities and that this can also drive many people into this delinquency in the first place. Instead of dealing with the problems that we and hundreds of thousands of other families with a migration background experience, people have simply shifted responsibility away with the deportation.

"We will never forgive and forget it"

We are aware that thousands of other people are experiencing exactly what we are experiencing. We feel with them. Everyone has the right to a safe life and no one should be deported against their will. That is inhumane. The first article in the Basic Law guarantees the protection of human dignity. Doesn't deportation contradict this? Germany deported our child to Turkey and thus put him in great danger. We will never forgive or forget that either. The fact that Muhammed was not immediately arrested is thanks to the efforts of so many people who created a public sphere that offered him protection. It is completely uncertain how long this will last. He may even face much worse than an arrest tomorrow. We hope and wish that we are the last family to feel this pain of separation and uncertainty about the fate of our own child."