Germany's Federal Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that police cannot enter refugees' homes or shelters to deport someone without a court warrant. According to a press statement from the court, the ruling stemmed from a 2019 incident in which police used a battering ram to enter a Guinean man's living space in a refugee transitional facility in Berlin to deport him – without a judicial order. With help from Germany's Society for Civil Rights and the immigration advocacy group Pro Asyl, the man argued his room should not have been entered and searched without a warrant. The court ruled that the raid was unconstitutional. "A search warrant is necessary as long as the police do not have certain knowledge that, and where, the person is in the room before the start of the measure," said Christoph Tometten, the complainant's lawyer. "What should be self-evident has been clarified today," said Sarah Lincoln, a lawyer with Germany's Society for Civil Rights, "thus rejecting the current deportation practices of the police." (Photo: REUTERS/Tilman Blasshofer)

 Germany's Federal Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that police cannot enter refugees' homes or shelters to deport someone without a court warrant.

According to a press statement from the court, the ruling stemmed from a 2019 incident in which police used a battering ram to enter a Guinean man's living space in a refugee transitional facility in Berlin to deport him – without a judicial order.

With help from Germany's Society for Civil Rights and the immigration advocacy group Pro Asyl, the man argued his room should not have been entered and searched without a warrant.

The court ruled that the raid was unconstitutional.

"A search warrant is necessary as long as the police do not have certain knowledge that, and where, the person is in the room before the start of the measure," said Christoph Tometten, the complainant's lawyer.

"What should be self-evident has been clarified today," said Sarah Lincoln, a lawyer with Germany's Society for Civil Rights, "thus rejecting the current deportation practices of the police."

(Photo: REUTERS/Tilman Blasshofer)police cannot enter refugees' homes or shelters to deport someone without a court warrant.

According to a press statement from the court, the ruling stemmed from a 2019 incident in which police used a battering ram to enter a Guinean man's living space in a refugee transitional facility in Berlin to deport him – without a judicial order.

With help from Germany's Society for Civil Rights and the immigration advocacy group Pro Asyl, the man argued his room should not have been entered and searched without a warrant.

The court ruled that the raid was unconstitutional.

"A search warrant is necessary as long as the police do not have certain knowledge that, and where, the person is in the room before the start of the measure," said Christoph Tometten, the complainant's lawyer.

"What should be self-evident has been clarified today," said Sarah Lincoln, a lawyer with Germany's Society for Civil Rights, "thus rejecting the current deportation practices of the police."

(Photo: REUTERS/Tilman Blasshofer)