In mid November 2016 a young man was deported from Switzerland to Guinea by plane. Besides him were twenty other individuals who were all being evicted to Guinea or Gambia. During the whole flight every single person was handcuffed and tied to a wheelchair. The flight was accompanied by an entourage of 40 people: police officers, the staff of the Swiss department of Migration and the staff of the anti torture commission. This particular procedure is called „Sonderflug“*.
Oumar lived in Switzerland for many years as a delegitimized individual. He was arrested during an identity check because he could not provide any ID. During his time in prison he repeatedly tried to resist against his deportation. In his home country he will be facing torture and imprisonment. On the day of his displacement, Oumar had spent over 17 months (with interruptions) in prison. The maximum duration of detention pending deportation in Switzerland is limited to 18 months, so this was the last opportunity for the Swiss officials to deport him.
Level of execution 4 (Level 4): If it is to be expected that the person who is to be deported will offer great physical resistance the transport is conducted with a special flight. Every person is accompanied by at least two police women or men when being deported.
Source [de]
** 1. The preparation and deportation custody according to articles 75-77 as well as the custody of enforcement according to article 78 are not allowed to exceed 6 months in sum.
2. The maximal length of custody can be prolonged by the canton’s juridical authority for a determinate time, yet at most for another twelve months, for minors between 15 and 18 years at most for another six months, if:
a. the concerning person does not cooperate with the responsible authority;
b. the conveyance of the required documents for the departure is deferred through a state which is not part of the Schengen.
