Brandstiffer from Krefeld: A dangerous shadow returns!

Brandstiffer from Krefeld: A dangerous shadow returns!

in Krefeld, a case from the past ensures turmoil. A suspected arsonist who has lived in Germany since 2002 is said to have broken numerous laws during his long stays. As early as 2009, the 38-year-old was noticed by aggressive actions in urban offices. This led to a conviction by the Krefeld Regional Court in 2010 due to violent and sexual offenses. Despite his punishment, he was released from custody in 2014 without a deportation to his home country.

The North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Refugee Josefine Paul expressed her surprise in an interview with the WDR about the circumstances of non-deportation. "I know that this man could not be deported after serving his prison sentence. That is a question to the Minister of the Interior at the time," she said.

Return and missing identity

After the man returned to Krefeld after ten years of absence in April this year, he obviously did not notice any further. However, the legal system prevented a deportation, since it can only be arranged if there is a realistic way to return. "It is not a prison system or bending system," said Minister Paul. "Without the possibility of a return, such a prison cannot be approved."

In addition, the man's identity remained unclear, which the authorities presented with major problems. The man used various identities to apply for asylum. This made the necessary steps to procure travel documents extremely difficult. According to the information from the city of Krefeld, the Iranian authorities are calling for voluntary declarations, which in fact makes a forced deportation impossible.

chronological overview

to better understand the complexity of his stay in Germany, here is a short chronology:

• 2002: Entry from Iran to Germany
• 2009: Incidents in the town hall lead to instruction in a psychiatric clinic
• 2010-2014: Convaluation of over four years in prison for various offenses, also to urban employees
• 2014-2024: Stay of several identities, including in France, where he served further penalties
• 2024: Return to Krefeld in April and threat to employees of the immigration office in October

This situation raises many questions that affect both the legal framework and the asylum system. The latest developments in this case will report on TV on Thursday, October 17th.

For more information on this topic, www1.wdr.de comprehensive reports and analyzes.