Sweden Prepares to Deport World's Oldest, Centenarian Refugee

When Bibikhal finally arrived in Sweden after a long journey which took her through Croatia and Germany among other countries, where she was reportedly carried on the shoulders of her son and grandson, it was portrayed as an idyllic finale with a happy ending. Now, her family's asylum application has been rejected, which means that Uzbek, who will turn 107 this autumn, will have to return to her home country Afghanistan.

Sweden's Migration Board does not consider advanced age a sufficient reason for granting asylum in and of itself. Additionally, Bibikhal's home region in northern Afghanistan is considered to be safe to return to. When the message of the coming expulsion arrived, the old woman had a stroke; since then, she has been unresponsive. At present, she is bed-ridden in her family's apartment in the town of Hova in Gullspång Municipality, Swedish national broadcaster SVT reported.

Unsurprisingly, the expulsion decision triggered strong reactions from Swedes, whose hospitality towards immigrants has become legendary in recent years.

"This is absolutely horrible. I'm so mad, it's an old aunt after all. I'm working in the field of elderly care myself here in Hova, and it goes against how you treat and old person. It's like there's no respect for anything," said local activist Johanna Valegård, who also represents the Feminist Initiative Party in Gulespång municipal council.

The family's legal representative filed an appeal to the Administrative Court, but the case has not been settled yet.

Despite Bibibkhal's escape to Sweden, her condition has since deteriorated, and her family cannot see how she can possibly survive a trip back to Afghanistan.

"It's simply impossible. She cannot walk, see or hear anything. She's just lying in bed. It would be an unbearable trip for Mom," Mohammadullah Uzbek said.

​Despite vocal protests from left-leaning Swedes, including eminent politicians and culture workers, the Swedish Migration Board is determined to continue its practice of deporting Afghan asylum seekers who had their applications rejected. The reason is that many areas of the country have been deemed "sufficiently safe."

"Our assessment is that the conflict has yet not reached a level where it affects everyone across the country, which is required by law for all Afghan citizens to be allowed to stay," Migration board head of legal affairs Fredrik Beijer told SVT.

According to the recent analysis of the security situation in Afghanistan, though, more vulnerable groups have been identified, such as people with disabilities and women at risk of being exposed to violence.

At the peak of the migrant crisis, Afghan asylum seekers constituted a large part of the influx to Sweden, alongside Syrians and Iraqis. So far this year, 83 percent of unaccompanied refugee children and 49 percent of adults from Afghanistan have been granted residence permits in Sweden.