Sief Allah H. migrated to Germany in 2016 from Tunisia. In December 2017 he reported his Tunisian passport as lost to German authorities. Authorities suspected that Sief Allah H. had travelled to conflict zones and tried to replace passports that might contain stamps or entry visas which might indicate terrorist activities. German authorities also asked their Tunisian counterparts for information on him and were told that he was suspected of being a follower of Islamic ultra-conservative Salafi ideology.