MONITORING ACTIVITIES EYEWITNESS TO FORCED DEPORTATIONS BY THE POLICE As regards the case mentioned above, the Ombudsman assessed that the forcible measures taken by the police complied with the rules of the Police Act. Both retaining the mother and leading her when she was picked up at ‘Center Avnstrup’, as well as the fixation, restraint and leading of the family members at Copenhagen Airport, were considered necessary and justifiable. In addition to this, the forcible measures were only used briefly, since the police constables continuously assessed whether the measures were adequate under the circumstances. IN FRANKFURT: COMING TO TERMS WITH THE SITUATION In Frankfurt, the family and the police were received by German police who requested that they stay in an area with restaurants and shops. The police constables were told to contact the German police immediately should any problems arise. Together with the family, the police constables found a place where they could buy food. When the mother asked for it, she was allowed to take off the diaper. The family now seemed resigned to the situation, and the father borrowed a police constable’s mobile phone to make some calls. The following morning, the plane landed at the airport in Kabul. Prior to the landing, the father received confirmation that the family would be offered a place where they could stay the first few days. The police constable in charge of the deportation also told them that the Danish Embassy would be able to assist them the first few days. The family and the police constables were met by three employees from the Afghan authorities and two employees from the Danish Embassy. The reception was friendly. The Afghan authorities checked the family’s papers, and the family was given permission to enter Afghanistan. The police constables and the Ombudsman’s representative travelled back on the same plane on which they had just arrived. The Ombudsman did not have any critical remarks on how the police had handled the forced deportation of the family to Afghanistan. And this is usually the conclusion. Since the monitoring began five years ago, it has been the Ombudsman’s assessment that the police generally handle the deportations with respect for the individual and without any unnecessary use of force. However, as mentioned above, the Ombudsman has expressed criticism a number of times regarding police documentation in deportation cases. The Ombudsman will continue to monitor the police work in order to improve this aspect. 71