Ali Wajid has never heard of Salzburg in 2014. At that time he left his village in Punjab in Pakistan and fled west. In the meantime he knows Salzburg. He feels at home - and yet can not stay.
After escaping from Pakistan, Wajid arrives in Turkey for a year, gets on a boat from Izmir to Greece and arrives in Austria in autumn 2015. Chance takes him to Graz, then to Salzburg. There he makes friends, learns German, starts 2017 training as a waiter. But because his request for asylum is rejected in all instances and at the highest court, he must leave Austria.
The 23-year-old seeks shelter in a monastery in Salzburg in mid-2018 and lives for half a year in the church asylum. In January he is arrested at a routine appointment with the police and brought to deportation to Vienna. Wajid fears for his life should he be deported to Pakistan. His helpers obtain a visa for Kenya, where he has been living for a week.
In a telephone conversation with Der Spiegel, he tells of his situation.
SPIEGEL : How are you in Kenya?
Ali Wajid : To some extent. I have been in Nairobi for a week now and live in a Benedictine monastery. So far, I have not looked at so much of the city, but spent most of the time in the monastery.
SPIEGEL : Why did you leave for Kenya when you had to leave Austria?
Wajid : Out of concern for my life, I do not want to go back to Pakistan. Because I sought protection in a monastery in Austria, many believe that I converted to Christianity. But that's not true. As a Pakistani citizen, you have little choice. When I was in detention in Vienna, my helpers tried to get a visa for another country. At the last moment, Kenya has offered a tourist visa. It is valid for one month and can be extended to a maximum of three months.
SPIEGEL : Can you imagine returning to Pakistan at a later date?
Wajid : If you belong to a minority in Pakistan, you have it very, very difficult. I come from a small village in eastern Pakistan, and even there people heard that I was looking for shelter in a monastery. One wonders if I have become a Christian. Even in Austria, people whom I met in a local mosque asked me if I had converted. It can be very dangerous in Pakistan. People believe what they want to believe and how can I prove them wrong?
SPIEGEL : Your request for asylum was rejected in Austria because you were not persecuted for political or religious reasons. Can you understand this decision?
Wajid : I fled for family reasons, that's what I explained to the authorities in Austria. Recently it became very threatening for me in Pakistan. Now comes the monastery thing to it. People tell me that my deportation has political reasons and that it's not just about justice.
SPIEGEL : Where do you see your future?
Wajid : In Salzburg. I am very connected to this city, it has become my home. I even learned snowboarding. In Salzburg, I have met so many people who support me and help me. There are even people who want to adopt me. I am determined to return there. I would like to finish my apprenticeship. In Austria, there is the so-called red-white-red card for qualified workers from non-EU countries. But for a trainee it is difficult to get it. The helpfulness is very large, and all legal options are checked. I hope it will work.