Achen / Germany (RNN Coresspondent) 20.05.1998

The Union Roma and Sinti" reproaches the City: In spite of medical certified suicidal tendencies of 29 years old Slavica Yurokoglu because of manic depression, the City eagerly tries to deport her to Yugoslavia without considering the consequences. Until n ow we got along very well with the autorities", says Joachim Rosenberg of the union. All the more we are now shocked about the handling of this case". He considers it as irresponsible, that the woman has been examined only somatically but not psychiatric. He, however, admits, that the woman herself has behaved wrong, but she cannot be made responsible because of her history. Meanwhile they have applied to the committee on petitions.

Looking back: When Slavica was 1 ½ years old, she came to Aachen with her family. From 1989 until 1992 she lived in Turkey. This fact could become fatal for her now. Since she came back, she is considered as a civil war refugee and has been tolerated only until August 1997. Several times she became guilty of crime and moreover, she did not report her place of residence to the authorities. The court in Aachen has meanwhile ordered custody until her deportation.

This story happened at the end of March (before the verdict): When Slavica came home one night, she was beaten up. She fled to her mother and was sent to hospital with concussion. When checking her particulars the police found out, that her name was on a d eportation list. They brought her to the custody house".

Her lawyer, Michael Preßler, says: She herself could have avoided this situation, it does not look very good for her at the moment". The substitute documents from the Yugoslavian Embassy can arrive every day and then the deportation will be implemented im mediately.

The leader of the public affais office said that the physical condition of Slavica Y. will be examined once more and that she would not be deported if her state of health would not allow this.

Merima Alievska, also a member of the union, is afraid, that if Slavica will be expelled from Germany, she will land on the streets" after having left the plane.