The heroic act of Roland Ali, the Albanian man who entered the flames to save an 8-year-old boy in Poitiers, France, was not enough for the young man to escape the order for deportation from the French territory.

Many residents of the area have described it as an unfair decision and as a result, a rally has been announced which will be held in front of the prefecture on January 7.

On February 3, 2022, the young Albanian made the rounds of social media and local press in France because of the heroic act he undertook thus risking his life, and rescue teams even gave him a gold medal in July of last year as a token of gratitude for his courage and selflessness. 

Roland Aliu hoped that he would receive a residence permit in France, for which he had started the procedures earlier that year, but on December 9, French authorities announced that he and his family have a month to leave the country.

According to the argument presented by the prefecture, the act of bravery of the Albanian citizen was not proven by the emergency services and the police that were mobilized the evening the fire occurred. The expulsion decision does not only affect Roland. Along with him, if the January 7 protest does not change the course of events, his parents and brother will also return to Albania.