Deported Yazidi family unable to regain residency in court decision
In a recent turn of events, a Yezidi family, known as the Qassim family, who were deported from Germany to Iraq, face an uphill battle when it comes to returning to their former home. The family, consisting of four minor children, was forcibly deported on July 22, 2025, despite a court ruling that invalidated their obligation to leave Germany, which came only after the deportation had taken place [1].
The Administrative Court of Potsdam, in its decision, maintained that the applicants had no protection rights and did not consider the deportation to be illegal [1]. The court's ruling also dismissed the family's lawsuit against the rejection of their asylum application as unfounded. Furthermore, the court does not consider that the plaintiffs have suffered individual persecution [1].
Emergency legal remedies in German courts appear to be exhausted, as the Administrative Court of Potsdam has denied their case [1]. Further litigation routes, such as appeals to higher courts or the Federal Administrative Court, are lengthy and uncertain processes, especially once the deportation has taken place [1].
European legal avenues, like complaints to the European Court of Human Rights, might be possible if the deportation violated their human rights protections under European law, but this is a complex and slow process that does not guarantee immediate return [1].
New asylum applications or humanitarian grounds for re-entry could be pursued if conditions change or new evidence emerges, but the current restrictive migration stance and suspension of family reunification complicate this significantly [2].
Political or administrative interventions, such as the temporary halt of Yazidi deportations to Iraq by some German states, do not directly affect a family already deported [3].
So far, the Ministry of the Interior has not seen any possibility for a return, and the Administrative Court of Potsdam has rejected a request to force Germany to take them back in an urgent procedure, with the decision being final [1].
Politicians from the SPD, Greens, and Left party have demanded the return of the family, while Pro Asyl, a refugee aid organization, considers Germany's deportation practice inhumane and calls for a deportation stop for Yezidi women and men from Iraq [1].
A school class has presented a petition and a protest letter to Landtag President Ulrike Liedtke, urging the return of the family, and around 35,000 people have signed a petition on the Change.org platform [1].
Interior Minister René Wilke (independent) has announced a quick return of the family in coordination with the federal government, but a legal basis is required [1].
The German Bundestag recognized crimes committed by the terrorist militia Islamic State against the religious minority Yezidis as genocide in 2023 [1]. However, the current legal options for the Qassim family to return to Germany are practically minimal given recent policy changes and judicial decisions.
References: [1] The Local [2] Deutsche Welle [3] Tagesspiegel
- The ongoing situation of the Qassim family, who were forcibly deported from Germany to Iraq, raises concerns in the realms of general news, politics, and crime-and-justice, as advocates and politicians continue to demand their return.
- Despite political pressure from parties like the SPD, Greens, and Left, the legal options for the Qassim family to return to Germany are extremely limited, as evident in recent policy changes and judicial decisions.
