Azerbaijani from Rostock fears deportation after 17 years in MV: “I feel like a German”

Rostock. Anver Hasanov has lived in Germany for 17 years. The Azerbaijani native completed his secondary school diploma in Bad Doberan. His mother and sisters live here. He is the father of two young children and has a new job lined up. "I feel German," says the 28-year-old. But whether he will be allowed to stay permanently in the country he calls home remains uncertain.

A letter from the Rostock Migration Office left Hasanov feeling very anxious. "Repatriation and Departure Department" reads the letterhead – and what the agency told him didn't help calm him down either. "I didn't feel well at all for days," he says. "I'm afraid of being deported."

Anver Hasanov (28) has lived in MV for 17 years and feels at home in Rostock.

Source: Dietmar Lilienthal

Hasanov had applied for an extension of his residence permit. The response shocked him. The Migration Office wrote that it was "intended" to reject his application. "It's about my livelihood, my family, my friends—everything."

The dilemma: To obtain a residence permit, he needs a national passport. Hasanov, who came to Bad Doberan to live with his mother and older sister at the age of eleven, doesn't have one. Both have lived in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 2001 and hold German citizenship.

The Azerbaijani embassy would only issue him a passport if he fulfilled the 18-month military service in his country of birth, says Hasanov, who no longer speaks Azerbaijani.

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But he speaks perfect German. "You have to read books to learn the language, my mother said. Today I'm grateful to her for forcing me to do it."

Sports also helped with his integration. As a boy, he played football in Doberan, later joining clubs in Rostock. This summer, the passionate footballer is moving from Lok Rostock to SV Hafen. "It's a shame he's leaving the club," says Lok assistant coach Daniel Höfken. "Anvar is a great, kind-hearted person."

MV Interior Minister Christian Pegel (SPD)

Source: Jens Büttner/dpa

When is a migrant actually considered well-integrated? "Anyone who not only lives here but becomes part of our society – with rights and responsibilities, and in a spirit of community – is well-integrated in my opinion," says Interior Minister Christian Pegel (SPD). This is evident in many small moments: "When someone learns our language, works, gets involved in a club or neighborhood. When they respect our values, live by democratic rules, and take responsibility."

Last year, 390 deportations from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern took place. This represents a significant increase after 150 to 190 deportations between 2020 and 2023, and the highest number since 2018, according to the Ministry of the Interior. In the first half of 2025, there were 149 deportations.

After school, Anver Hasanov began an apprenticeship as an automotive mechatronics technician, which he dropped out of, as well as an apprenticeship with a baker. He most recently worked for a large car rental company. He has been unemployed since February and is receiving unemployment benefits.

Finding a new job is very difficult with his residence status, says Hasanov. His residence permit expired in 2018, and since then he has had a "fictitious certificate" that must be renewed every six months. This document serves as temporary proof of the legality of his residence. His certificate expires in a few days.

"I want to work and achieve something in my life," says the 28-year-old, who, despite all the difficulties, has a job in sight again. A large car dealership wants to hire him as a vehicle maintenance technician. The prerequisite: the renewal of his certificate of non-employment.