Refugee from Uganda kept at removal center for nearly two months

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This week, Türkiye's Directorate of Migration Management announced that a record number of 119,817 refugees were deported from the country.

Also, the capacity of the removal centers was increased by 30 percent, surpassing the capacity of all European countries.

Currently, 18,776 people from 107 countries are held in these centers, waiting to be deported. Wahab Kenyatta, a 25-year-old man from Uganda, is one of them.

On October 31, Kenyatta was detained in Eşkisehir due to issues with his residence permit. On November 2, he was taken to the Akyurt Deportation Center in Ankara, the capital, where he is still held.

A court case has opened concerning his deportation. While the case's conclusion is still pending, Kenyatta has been in administrative detention for 55 days in the Akyurt deportation center. Kenyatta is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He cannot take his medication regularly and is given the drug lustral, which his doctors had not administered.

While in detention, Kenyatta received reference letters from both the Embassy of Uganda and The Federation of African Culture Associations, ensuring that he would not run away if released on parole and that his medical condition needs immediate treatment.

Detention time extended after İstanbul bombing

bianet spoke with his girlfriend, M.Z.D., who explained that after the Istanbul bombing on November 13, the detention time of migrants waiting to be deported was extended.

"Before the Istanbul bombing, migrants with missing documents were able to leave the deportation center in fifteen days. The administrative center used to sign papers in one week or one month. After the bombing, the processes got prolonged. They do not read our document in any way, and in an instant, they get rejected."

"On October 31 in Eskisehir, at the General Information Collection (GBT) they looked at his passport number and said 'you are illegal' and directly brought him to the foreign representative office. After staying there for two nights, they bought him in a hurry to the Akyurt deportation center in Ankara."

"Wahab stayed legally in Türkiye. He has a passport and a visa and works here as an English teacher and a part-time model. We applied for the residence permit over the internet and live together in a house with a rental contract in our name.

"In June this year, he lost his passport, and I said, 'Let's not take any risk, and go directly to the police station.' We went to the police station, made an application for missing documents, and made a report. At that time, they also took a passport number, and there wasn't any problem."

"There is even another example. Someone wanted to steal his phone, so we went to the police station to file a complaint. They again put in his passport number, and there was no issue. This was all registered at the police station. How can a person in one week possibly become 'illegal'? On top of that, can a fugitive with his own feet enter a police station?"

"The don't present any justification, just 'there is a flight risk."

Increasing suicidal thoughts

M.Z.D. further explains that Kenyatta's inability to take his medication correctly increases his depression and triggers suicidal thoughts. She can barely talk with him for five minutes per day and tries to keep Kenyatta away from such thoughts.

"When he takes his medicines regularly the symptoms gradually decrease. However, since he entered the deportation center, he has had episodes again. He has a major depression and needs to be moved from there immediately."

"The second objection to the detention was rejected today. Even if he is to be deported, these cases can take two or three years and this person has the right to wait in Turkey until the process is over.

"Everything is going so bad, I have to fix all documents and run after everything by myself. Because of the stress, I have lost my two-month-old baby. I want that the officials recognize the situation and injustice. I do not have any other request." (TY/WM/VK)