Deported Yazidi family denied reentry by court
In a controversial turn of events, a Yezidi family, consisting of four minor children, has been denied the chance of returning to Germany after a court decision. The Potsdam Administrative Court ruled that the family's deportation was lawful and rejected their emergency application for reentry, stating there were no valid grounds to reverse the deportation.
The family had lived in Lychen, Uckermark for several years before being deported to Iraq on July 22, 2023. The court's decision to lift the family's deportation order on the day of deportation did not affect the current decision.
The court maintains that the applicants have no protection rights and does not consider that the plaintiffs have suffered individual persecution. This decision has sparked heated calls from politicians, including Brandenburg's interior minister, who sought to facilitate the family's return. A petition signed by thousands is also demanding the family's safe return.
The deportation happened rapidly, with authorities acting before all legal procedures and court decisions were fully settled. This swift action has raised concerns, with advocacy groups like Nadia’s Initiative condemning the deportation as a violation of legal protections and calling for the family’s safe return and a moratorium on Yazidi deportations to Iraq.
The Yazidi community suffered genocide by ISIS in Iraq—a fact recognized by the German Bundestag in 2023—and the family had fled those conditions, lived integrated in Germany for years, and had children attending school there. The case is particularly controversial given these circumstances.
Despite the legal framework and court rulings upholding the deportation, the Ministry of the Interior has not seen any possibility for a return. Minister President Dietmar Woidke announced a critical review of the case, but accepted the court judgment. So far, no legal basis for the family's return has been established.
A school class presented a petition and a protest letter to the President of the State Parliament for the family's return. The letter to Interior Minister René Wilke was read out by a 13-year-old student, Leonie. Pro Asyl refugee aid organization considers Germany's deportation practice inhuman and calls for a deportation stop for Yezidi women and men from Iraq.
[1] The Local [2] Deutsche Welle [3] Nadia's Initiative [4] Change.org [5] The Guardian
- The decision by the Potsdam Administrative Court to reject the emergency application of a Yezidi family, denying their return to Germany, has incited sharp criticism from politicians and advocacy groups, including calls for a moratorium on Yazidi deportations to Iraq.
- Despite the controversy surrounding the Yezidi family's deportation to Iraq and the recognition of the Yazidi genocide by the German Bundestag, no legal basis for their return to Germany has been established, as announced by Minister President Dietmar Woidke.
