Denmark to deport Somali Women back to ‘safe’ town where Shabab murdered her Father

A Somali woman whose father and brother were murdered by the Islamist militant group Al Shabab faces deportation from Denmark, After more than five years legally living in the Scandinavian country, immigration authorities told Xafsa Mole, 25, she was no longer eligible for asylum after deeming her hometown now safe..

The decision follows a similar spate of deportation orders of Syrian refugees living in Denmark, which has drawn widespread criticism from local and international rights groups.

Ms Mole was 19 when a leader from Al Shabab in Somalia asked to marry her. When she said no, her would-be suitor sent armed men to her home killing her father, oldest brother and badly injuring her mother, After overcoming the traumatic event and finding safety in Denmark for the past five years, Ms Mole may be forced to face her perpetrators once more.

Ms Mole hails from a similarly small and agricultural town in Somalia called Jamaame. Located in the southern Lower Juba region of Somalia, her hometown has been largely under the control of Al Shabab, which has links to Al Qaeda, since the insurgent group’s military campaigns to introduce strict religious law in the country began a decade ago.

Ms Mole found out the severe consequences of rejecting Al Shabab and after the attack on her family she knew the militants would not leave her alone. In mourning and fearing for her life, she fled Somalia as soon as she could. “I just wanted to be safe,” she said.