Court in Germany denies Yazidi family's appeal for relocation after expulsion
The Yazidi family, who were survivors of the 2014 IS genocide, were recently deported from Germany to Iraq. However, their attempt to return to Germany has been denied by the Potsdam Administrative Court [1][2].
The family's deportation was based on a decision made by Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in March 2023, which deemed their asylum claim "manifestly unfounded" and authorized their removal [1][2]. An emergency court order was issued on July 22, 2025, temporarily suspending the deportation, but it arrived too late—after the family had already been forcibly removed to Iraq on that same day [1][2][5].
The court expressed skepticism that the family had faced "individual persecution" by ISIS or that Yazidis currently face sufficient group persecution to justify protection under asylum law [1][2]. The family consisted of two parents and four young children who had lived in Germany for years, with the children enrolled in school [3][5].
The deportation has provoked widespread controversy and political pressure within Germany, with multiple political parties and organizations calling for the family’s safe return and a moratorium on deportations of Yazidis to Iraq [3][4]. Yazidi genocide survivors and advocacy groups criticize the deportation, emphasizing ongoing instability and threats in Iraq’s Sinjar region, and urging Germany to uphold its commitment to protect genocide survivors [3][4].
Brandenburg’s interior minister, Rene Wilke, has expressed support for facilitating the family’s return to Germany if legally possible, but as of the latest ruling on August 7-12, no legal avenue for their return has been found by the courts [1][4].
The case has reignited debate over how German asylum policy should treat communities affected by mass atrocities, especially when legal rulings and humanitarian considerations appear to clash [6]. Politicians from the center-left Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens, and the socialist Left Party have joined calls for the family's return [7].
Meanwhile, many Yazidis still cannot return safely due to destroyed villages, insecurity, and the presence of IS remnants [8]. The deported family was part of a charter flight carrying 43 people from Leipzig to Baghdad [9]. The situation is deeply concerning for Wilke, who has asked federal authorities to work on bringing the family back if the court ruling in their favor remains valid [10].
References:
- Potsdam Administrative Court Rejects Emergency Application by Yazidi Family
- German Court Upholds Deportation of Yazidi Family
- Yazidi Family Deported from Germany Sparks Political Outcry
- German Court Rejects Urgent Application by Yazidi Family to Return
- Court Suspends Deportation of Yazidi Family but It's Too Late
- Deportation of Yazidi Family Reignites Debate on Asylum Policies
- Politicians Call for Return of Deported Yazidi Family
- Many Yazidis Still Cannot Return to Iraq Safely
- Deported Yazidi Family Part of Charter Flight to Baghdad
- Interior Minister Calls for Return of Deported Yazidi Family
- The controversial deportation of the Yazidi family, survivors of the 2014 IS genocide, has triggered debates in the world of politics and general news, particularly about how to treat communities affected by mass atrocities.
- The delay in issuing an emergency court order, which temporarily suspended the deportation of the family, was seen after they had already been forcibly returned to Iraq from Germany.
- Critics, including Yazidi genocide survivors and advocacy groups, question the court's skepticism regarding the family's claims of individual persecution by ISIS and the ongoing instability in Iraq's Sinjar region.
- As a result of their forced return to Iraq, the Yazidi family, consisting of two parents and four young children, now face threats and insecurity in their home country, raising concerns among politicians such as Brandenburg’s interior minister, Rene Wilke.
