Following a visit to the detention facility, Juliane Nagel has provided insights on her encounter with Hamza A.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, Kurdish writer Hamza A. has built a new life, working indefinitely and engaged to be married. However, since June 17, 2025, his life has taken a drastic turn as he has been detained in a deportation prison.
Hamza A.'s biography in Turkey indicates a justified flight due to the threat of repression and imprisonment. His political engagement has led to the re-evaluation of his asylum case, but his current detention has sparked widespread concern.
Evidence of Hamza A.'s political engagement could potentially lead to a successful claim for asylum. Yet, his condition is rapidly deteriorating, with "only days, not weeks" left, according to the Saxon Refugee Council. Hamza A. has lost a significant amount of weight and is experiencing pain in his organs.
MP Juliane Nagel of The Left party visited Hamza A. in the deportation prison in Dresden and described his detention as highly questionable. She has submitted an inquiry about Hamza A.'s detention and treatment (Drs. 8/3657). Juliane Nagel also demands an immediate, independent medical assessment and Hamza A.'s release from the deportation prison.
The policy of inaction towards the Erdoğan regime regarding these issues is scandalous, according to Juliane Nagel. The Left party demands the abolition of deportation prisons and detention centers for those subject to deportation. The money currently spent on operating these facilities could be better invested in advisory and support structures.
Many Kurdish activists who have to leave Turkey face a low chance of protection in Germany. The lack of consideration for these issues in many German asylum procedures reveals gaps in the authorities.
Hamza A. began a hunger strike over 40 days ago to protest his detention and potential deportation to Turkey. His case has drawn attention to the plight of Kurdish activists and asylum seekers in Germany, highlighting the need for a fair and compassionate approach to these complex issues.
- Hamza A.'s political engagement in Turkey led to a re-evaluation of his asylum case, but his current detention in a deportation prison in Dresden has raised concerns about his health-and-wellness, as he has lost a significant amount of weight and is experiencing pain in his organs.
- Juliane Nagel, an MP from The Left party, visited Hamza A. in the deportation prison and described his detention as highly questionable, demanding an immediate, independent medical assessment and his release from the prison.
- The Left party is calling for the abolition of deportation prisons and detention centers for those subject to deportation, arguing that the money currently spent on operating these facilities could be better invested in advisory and support structures.
- Mental-health concerns are apparent not only for Hamza A., but also for many Kurdish activists who have to leave Turkey and face a low chance of protection in Germany, as the lack of consideration for these issues in many German asylum procedures reveals gaps in the authorities.
- Hamza A.'s hunger strike over 40 days ago to protest his detention and potential deportation to Turkey has drawn attention to the plight of Kurdish activists and asylum seekers in Germany, highlighting the need for a fair and compassionate approach to these complex issues. This specific incident falls under the general-news category, but it also intersects with crime-and-justice, politics, policy-and-legislation, and health-and-wellness.
