Syrian asylum seekers not deported today
Ahmad and Wajden, the two men facing deportation. Stundin/Áslaug Karen Jóhannsdóttir
Two Syrian asylum seekers threatened with deportation will not be sent out of Iceland today as planned, it has been revealed.
The official plan was that the two men – both in gainful employment in Iceland – would be deported to Bulgaria, following a rejection of their asylum application by the Directorate of Immigration.
The men’s lawyer Helga Vala Helgadóttir lodged a formal request for a stay of enforcement of the Directorate of Immigration decision, and no deportation can take place until the relevant appeals committee has ruled on this request.
“They will not be deported tonight or tomorrow,” said Helgadóttir yesterday evening. “But we don’t know how long this will last.”
A group of demonstrators gathered yesterday lunchtime at the Icelandic Home Affairs Ministry to protest against the planned deportations.
