Deported Yazidi family denied re-entry by court decision
A Yezidi family, who had lived in Germany for several years, was recently deported to Iraq despite court decisions and calls for their repatriation. The family, consisting of four minor children, had fled Iraq in 2014 during the ISIS genocide against Yazidis and had been integrating into German society.
In March 2023, the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) had rejected their asylum claim, judging it “manifestly unfounded” and authorizing their deportation. The Potsdam Administrative Court later upheld the legality of their removal, stating no significant individual or current group threat justified overturning the order.
However, on July 22, while the family was already on a plane to Baghdad, the Potsdam Administrative Court granted an emergency appeal that should have stopped the deportation, but it arrived too late to prevent it.
The deportation drew political and public criticism, including from Brandenburg’s interior minister and human rights groups like Nadia’s Initiative. They highlighted the family’s plight, the timing of the court ruling, and the ongoing risks Yazidis face in Iraq post-genocide. Nadia’s Initiative called for an immediate review and moratorium on Yazidi deportations due to the unresolved insecurity in their home region.
Around 35,000 people have signed a petition on the Change.org platform, demanding the family's repatriation. The German Bundestag had also recognized crimes committed by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia against the Yezidi religious minority as genocide in 2023.
Despite calls for action, the Iraqi-deported Yezidi family has no chance of returning to Germany after a court decision. Interior Minister René Wilke (independent) had announced that he wanted to repatriate the family promptly in coordination with the federal government, but a corresponding legal basis is required.
For nearly two years, the family tried in vain to challenge the rejection of their asylum application in court. The Potsdam Administrative Court dismissed their appeal against the rejection as unfounded and refused to order Germany to repatriate the family in an urgent procedure.
The case has sparked a debate about Germany's deportation practice of Yezidi women and men from Iraq, with Pro Asyl considering it inhumane. They call for a moratorium on deportations until the safety of Yazidis in Iraq can be guaranteed.
In a dramatic turn, a 13-year-old girl named Leonie read a letter to Interior Minister Wilke, stating, "The future of the family is in your hands. Act now and bring the family back - now!"
The incident serves as a reminder of the complexities and challenges faced by refugees seeking asylum in Germany and the ongoing need for compassionate and careful decision-making in such matters.
Politics and general-news outlets have reported intensifying criticism following the deportation of a Yezidi family back to Iraq. The controversy stems from the family's plight, with calls for their repatriation after being deported despite previous court decisions and ongoing risks they face in Iraq post-genocide. Crime-and-justice groups, such as Nadia's Initiative, have highlighted the need for an immediate review and moratorium on Yazidi deportations due to the unresolved insecurity in their home region.
