The men, who had been housed in the departure center for the last four to six months - met with some success. After a discussion with representatives of the district government Cologne, there were no more repatriations on Wednesday, reported the police after consulting local authorities.

The protestors used the chance to draw attention to other concerns: there were delays in the processing of their papers and problems with medical care. An agreement was also reached on the second point; those who were ill would receive a medical examination in the housing facility during the course of the day.

“We also have rights” read one of the signs the men had made for the protest. With another poster, they seemed to refer to current incidents such as the rape in the Siegaue, in which a refugee had been accused of the crime. They warned against generalizations and distanced themselves from any criminal acts.

After police gathered the men from the street and brought them to a corner, the protestors were allowed to carry on with their demonstration along the roadside under police guidance. Local police reported that it had all been peaceful and calm. At around 10:15 am, the group ended their gathering.

(Orig. text: ga.de)