Iraqi Students Call for Family Reunification through Deportation
The Yazidi family, who were deported from Lychen, Brandenburg earlier this month, now have 30 days to appeal the court's decision that rejected their asylum appeal and urgent requests to suspend the deportation [1]. The next step for the family is to submit an appeal to the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin–Brandenburg, which will review the case with higher judicial authority.
The family's legal journey began in 2023 when Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) denied their asylum request. The Potsdam Administrative Court, however, rejected their appeal and urgent requests to suspend the deportation. Tragically, the family was deported to Iraq before a court ruling annulling the deportation order could be enforced [1][4][5].
The court based its rejection mainly on the absence of an immediate individual threat of persecution, such as direct targeting by ISIS or ongoing group persecution [1]. However, it is worth noting that the Bundestag recognized the crimes of the IS terrorist militia against Yazidi women and men in 2014 as genocide in 2023.
Brandenburg's Interior Minister has expressed willingness to help coordinate the family's return if the Higher Administrative Court rules in their favour. This shows a commitment to reconsidering the case [1].
Meanwhile, the school class in Lychen, Brandenburg, has initiated a campaign to bring back the deported Yazidi family. A petition, formulated by a 12-year-old named Emil, has garnered over 35,000 signatures on the Change.org platform. State Parliament President Ulrike Liedtke finds the deportation incomprehensible and has promised to intensively deal with the issue [2].
The Greens, Left, and refugee organizations have also criticized the deportation. Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) announced a critical review of the case, suggesting that deportations should be considered very sensitively, taking the individual person into account [3].
While it remains unclear whether the family's lawyer will appeal the dismissal of the lawsuit, it is crucial to remember that the court's ruling in the family's lawsuit dismissal must be accepted [1]. The family, consisting of four minor children, is currently staying with relatives in Iraq. The youngest children in the family spoke better German than their mother tongue, indicating their integration into their new community in Brandenburg [1].
Emil, one of the children, misses his classmate Maatz, with whom he used to play football. The hope is that this family, who tried to integrate as much as possible, will soon be able to return to their life in Lychen, Brandenburg.
[1] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/yazidi-familie-aus-lychen-wird-berufung-gegaengt/28206962.html [2] https://www.br-online.de/nachrichten/brandenburg/lychen-yazidi-familie-deportiert-petition-100.html [3] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/yazidi-familie-aus-lychen-deportiert-in-irak-a-8e1e6144-3906-489c-b82e-574617e036d3 [4] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article224647917/Yazidi-Familie-aus-Lychen-Deportiert-in-Irak.html [5] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/yazidi-familie-aus-lychen-wird-berufung-gegaengt/28206962.html
- The Yazidi family's legal battle, initially started in 2023 over politics and general-news, now includes an appeal to the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin–Brandenburg in crime-and-justice, as they challenge the court's decision that rejected their asylum appeal.
- The recent deportation of the Yazidi family has sparked controversy in Germany, with the Greens, Left, and refugee organizations voicing their disapproval in crime-and-justice, while a school class in Lychen, Brandenburg has initiated a petition to support the family, demonstrating a broader interest in this case as part of general-news.
