German court forces Kölnin to house an Albanian family

Human dignity is invulnerable. So says Article 1 of the German Constitution. An Albanian family tested this article and won in court. The town of Kölni is thus obliged to house the Albanian family temporarily in a centre of homeless people until it leaves Germany. According to Köln's Administrative Court, foreigners despite the obligation to leave Germany have the right to lodge in the home of the homeless. This decision was made Thursday (12.12,2019) after a request for accelerated treatment by the Albanian family, which apparently had not seen another route, because otherwise she would be homeless and would have to sleep on the street with the children.

The Albanian family wanted an accession centre to be sheltered elsewhere until accession. Köln authorities had initially rejected this. According to them, the family is forced to leave Germany and can avoid the situation of being homeless with a return to Albania. To Tirana they take the road daily, authorities argued.

The court ended the uncertainty. Because the Albanian family is unable to provide a shelter with its own strength, the city, as rule authority, is obliged to house in the homeless centre until admission to an accession centre. The housing claim is not abolished under the obligation to leave the country, but is cut off from the problem of foreign rights, judges argued. As long as people are homeless and live in the space for which Kölni's city is responsible.

Albanian family violates German exit deadline

According to court data, not many days ago a couple from Albania had arrived with two children in Germany. The news agency dpa, writes, that the Albanian family was planning to stay in Germany without even applying for asylum. It is known that because Albania is a safe orgy country, the chances for asylum are almost zero.

The Office of Foreigners reacted and gave the Albanian family a binding document for crossing the border. With this document, those who are forced to leave Germany, because they have no right to stay a certain deadline for voluntary departure. But the Albanian family did not return voluntarily. The foreign office moved further, sending the issue to a refugee distribution centre, but nothing happened. The family was not assigned a location in the accession center.

Thus, the leftover Albanians were forced to seek refuge in the shelter of the homeless in Köln, where they spent one night. But then the family had to leave this center because of the binding German exit document. In such a situation, the Albanian family had no choice and addressed the court with a request for accelerated treatment of the case. / DW