Oscar’s deportation postponed amid sensitive circumstances
Oscar Andres Florez Bocanegra. Photo/Sent to mbl.is
The Icelandic Immigration Service has decided to postpone the deportation of Oscar Anders Florez Bocanegra due to new information highlighting the sensitive and difficult circumstances surrounding his case. The decision was made over the weekend after authorities received details that significantly influenced their judgment.
This was confirmed by Oscar’s lawyer, Helga Vala Helgadóttir, in an interview with mbl.is. Oscar had been scheduled to be deported to Colombia last night.
Oscar was previously deported in October of last year after both he and his father were denied international protection. The pair originally arrived in Iceland in 2022 after receiving death threats from criminal groups in Colombia.
Left him on the streets of Bogotá
Since then, Oscar’s situation has become increasingly complex. His father, who reportedly abused him, relinquished custody, leaving Oscar to survive alone on the streets of Bogotá for a month. Eventually, he was taken in by Icelandic foster parents Sonja Magnúsdóttir and Svavar Jóhannsson, who brought him back to Iceland and have since been advocating for his right to remain in the country.
Oscar is currently living with Magnúsdóttir and Jóhannsson, who have been at the forefront of efforts to secure his safety and stability.
Meanwhile, Víðir Reynisson, chairman of the Althing’s General Affairs and Education Committee, recently stated in an interview with mbl.is that it was unlikely the committee would be able to process Oscar’s application for Icelandic citizenship before his scheduled deportation.
