„You don’t belong“. Detention pending deportation, an insight into the underworld of law

Peter Fahlbusch (Hanover) has been working as a lawyer in migration law throughout Germany since 1998, particularly in deportation detention proceedings. He is also particularly involved in criminal proceedings relating to immigration law. In addition, Mr Fahlbusch primarily deals with social law cases and handles so-called Dublin cases in asylum proceedings.

Mr Fahlbusch regularly analyses all detention proceedings conducted by him since 2001 in a statistical report and publishes the results. His comprehensive analysis of detention practices contrary to the rule of law sheds light on the undignified situation of detainees awaiting deportation. Those people who, in around 50 per cent of the cases he has looked after for years, have been unjustly told „You don’t belong“, which determines their existence. Fahlbusch gives an insight into the underworld of the law, which apparently very few people know or want to know about.

He is a lecturer on the specialist migration law course run by the Republican Lawyers‘ Association (RAV), he regularly writes publications and is the author of the Handkommentar Ausländerrecht, 3rd edition.

Peter Fahlbusch has received numerous awards for his representation of detainees awaiting deportation:

• ProAsyl 2019
• DAV pro reo 2022 | Overview
• DAV pro reo 2022 | Award winners
• DAV pro reo 2022 | Justification
• RAV / Holtfort Foundation 2015

Chair of the discussion: Dr Irmtrud Wojak, Managing Director of the BUXUS STIFTUNG and initiator of the Fritz Bauer Forum

Feature photo by P. Fahlbusch: Thilo Nass; header photo: Karsten Winegeart