German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer is seeking a speedy deportation of the former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden, a 41-year-old Tunisian man who is currently residing in Germany.
The politician told the German newspaper Bild that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) had started the deportation proceedings against Sami A., a suspected Islamist who is believed to pose a considerable threat to German security.
"The BAMF has initiated a revocation proceeding against the former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden. I have ordered the BAMF to carry out the process with the highest priority," the politician was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
The case of Sami A. provoked severe criticism last month after German media outlets revealed that the man was paid welfare benefits even though the country's intelligence had identified him as a potential threat.
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The man has been living in Bochum since 1997, has a wife and children and receives 1168 euro per month from the German government. Due to the alleged threat of torture in his home country, he hasn't been able to be deported from Germany for years.
Earlier in May, Germany deported another Tunisian national, Haikel S., who is suspected of having ties to Daesh and accused of being a co-organizer of several Islamist attacks in Tunisia, including the shooting at the Bardo Museum in 2015 that claimed lives of over 20 people.