Words by

Iryna Zubenko

Photo by

Jón Margeir Þórisson / RÚV

Isaac Kwateng, the field manager of Þróttur football club, was deported from Iceland on October 16th under police escort, reports RÚV.

Isaac came to Iceland in 2017 and applied for international protection, but it was recently announced that he would be deported from the country.

Þróttur supporters gathered in Laugardalur yesterday evening to support Isaac, who was sent to Ghana this morning.

Isaac has been in Iceland for nearly six years, working as a field manager for Þróttur, playing with the team and coaching.

Recently, he was denied international protection, so he cannot apply for work and residence permits.

Jón Hafsteinn Jóhannsson, a coach at Þróttur, was with Isaac when the police came to deport him. “We came together this morning to stand by him and were with him when the police came to take him. Everything went peacefully, but we did receive some information that was different from what we had been told before,” says Jón.

Isaac had received information that he would be sent to Ghana through France, but the police informed him last night that he would be sent through the Netherlands.

“It was not surprising that suddenly not all the information we had previously been given matched,” adds Jón.

Isaac claims not to have any connections to Ghana anymore. He has applied for Icelandic citizenship, but that application will not be considered until the end of the year.

Jón says that if his application is approved, the next flight will be booked for him to return home. “Now, this is a reality. We always held onto the hope that it wouldn’t come to this, given the complexity of this case. We have secured him a hotel stay for now, but we are fully focused on bringing him back.”