- A family from Burundi was deported from Neuenhof on a special flight on the night of April 21st.
- Around 20 emergency services picked up the family around 2 a.m. – the parents were handcuffed in front of their three children (2, 6 and 8 years old).
- The SP criticizes excessive police presence and traumatization of children. The canton defends the action as legal and necessary.
April 21st is on Zurich Airport A Boeing 737-8 Max from the Czech low-cost airline Smartwings landed outside of regular operating hours. The plane touched down at 4:12 a.m. and flew on towards Hurghada in Egypt at 6:48 a.m.
Flights are only permitted in Zurich until 11 p.m., with scope for delays up to 11:30 p.m. There is a ban on night flights between midnight and 6 a.m. Exceptions require special permission. These include, among other things, rescue, police or state flights. It later became clear that it was a deportation flight. Zurich government councilor Mario Fehr said: “A special flight to Burundito rejected asylum seekers returned to their home country. Many thanks to the Zurich Cantonal Police, other police corps and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) for this joint effort.”
Parents were tied up in front of the children
Now the case throws up in the canton of Aargau high waves. There, the night-time deportation caused criticism from politicians. According to this, around 20 emergency services picked up the family from an accommodation in Neuenhof around 2 a.m. and took them out of the country on the special flight, as the «Aargauer Zeitung» reported. The SP speaks of a disproportionate commitment and serious consequences for the children. The canton defends the action as legal and necessary.
The family had lived in the canton for around three years. The parents were tied up in front of their three children aged two, six and eight. The father later said: “No one present took care of her. I was carried to the police bus and taken straight to the airport. They put a mask on my head and carried me upstairs to the plane.
SP councilors criticize a “completely excessive police presence”. The children were traumatized without consideration. The rule of law is measured not only by the decision, but also by the humanity of its execution. Reference was also made to human rights concerns in Burundi.
Canton defends the operation
The canton defends the repatriation of the family. This was done “in close coordination with the federal government”. In addition to the police, there are migration authorities, social services, medical staff and an observer from the torture commission was on site. “In order to be able to guarantee the safety of the family and those involved at a high level at all times, an appropriate presence is necessary,” it says.
Coercive means such as restraints or spit guards are permitted if those affected defend themselves. Children are “cared for throughout” and their well-being is “particularly taken into account”. Those affected would not be informed in advance in order to prevent attempts to escape.
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Jonas Bucher is a publisher and deputy co-head of the news desk at 20 Minutes. He has been working in the media industry for 25 years and has always remained loyal to 20 Minutes.
