Following the expulsion of Yazidis, Woidke is looking to tackle the matter.
In a recent development, the urgent application for the return of a Yazidi family, who were deported without apparent reason, is pending. The family, consisting of four minor children, had been living in Lychen, Uckermark for several years before their deportation to Iraq last Tuesday.
The Administrative Court of Potsdam dismissed the family's lawsuit against the rejection of their asylum application from 2023 and changed the status from "obviously unfounded" to "unfounded." The family's lawyer, Kareba Hagemann, is considering an appeal.
The court's ruling pointed out inconsistencies in the family's statements about threats. However, it found neither an individual threat such as persecution by the terrorist militia IS nor sufficient indications of group persecution for the family. This has sparked criticism from various groups, including the Greens, Left, Pro Asyl, and the Refugee Council.
The Yazidis are a religious minority. The Bundestag recognized crimes committed by the terrorist militia IS against Yazidis in 2014 as genocide in 2023. The uncle of the children posted an appeal on Instagram regarding the family's deportation, referring to the Yazidis as politically persecuted and oppressed in Iraq. He has initiated a petition titled "Bring our classmates back from Iraq," which has garnered over 31,000 signatures.
In response, Dietmar Woidke, Brandenburg's Minister-President, suggested improvements focusing on better coordination between Brandenburg and federal authorities to ensure adherence to court rulings and prevent premature deportations. Specifically, he called for federal officials to provide necessary travel documents promptly and cooperate to facilitate the return of the deported Yazidi family if the court’s decision supporting their case is upheld.
Woidke noted that the court’s decision to halt the deportation came only after the family had already arrived in Baghdad, at which point the authorities could no longer intervene. This highlights a need for procedural safeguards to ensure that deportations do not proceed before all legal remedies, such as urgent appeals, are fully recognized and can be acted upon. His direction to Brandenburg authorities to work closely with federal ones reflects a push for systemic changes to prevent similar cases in the future.
Brandenburg's Interior Minister René Wilke has announced that he will coordinate with the federal government to bring the family back quickly if the court decision stands. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding legal protections in asylum cases and the need for improved communication and coordination between state and federal authorities.
- The court's decision to halt the Yazidi family's deportation has sparked discussions about the need for better politics and cooperation, particularly in migration matters, to prevent premature deportations during war-and-conflicts and ensure general-news coverage of such cases.
- The petition initiated by the uncle of the Yazidi children, titled "Bring our classmates back from Iraq," highlights the crime-and-justice implications of their deportation, as the Yazidis are a politically persecuted religious minority, a fact recognized by the German Bundestag.
- Dietmar Woidke, Brandenburg's Minister-President, has called for addressing the issue of migration through systemic changes, focusing on improving communication and coordination between Brandenburg and federal authorities, to ensure adherence to court rulings and protect individuals faced with war-and-conflicts and other general-news challenges.
