Court Upholds Removal of EU Citizenship for Irish Woman - Potential Removal of European Union Residents
Title: Progress in Court Cases for EU Citizens Facing Expulsion Over Palestine Protests
In an unexpected turn of events, the Administrative Court of Berlin has twice decided in favor of four individuals - an Irish EU citizen, another three EU citizens, and one American - who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and faced the threat of expulsion.
Recently, on April 10, the court granted an emergency application by an Irish EU citizen, and yesterday saw another successful application. These decisions mean that these individuals, including the Irish applicant, cannot be expelled until their main proceedings are settled. The exact timeline for this is unpredictable at present, as the decision on the main proceedings has yet to be made (Case No.: VG 21 L 157/25).
This suspension of decisions applies to all four applicants, as their cases are currently being deliberated at the Administrative Court. Different judges preside over the cases, the responsibility for which is determined by the applicants' last names.
These recent victories come after Germany's immigration authority revoked the freedom of movement rights for two Irish EU citizens, a Polish person, and further threatened expulsion for an American individual. This move was based on their alleged participation in illegal activities during the pro-Palestinian protests.
Berlin's Interior State Secretary, Christian Hochgrebe (SPD), expressed concern over the potential threat these individuals pose to the public safety of the Federal Republic of Germany. He singled out violent incidents at the Free University of Berlin (FU) in October 2024, where masked individuals disrupted university operations and threatened employees.
In its judgement, the Administrative Court noted the immigration authority's failure to request necessary investigation files from the public prosecutor's office while making their initial decisions.
These activists maintain that their actions were driven by a commitment to the Palestinian cause and believe that they are being targeted to stifle dissent against Germany’s stance on Israel and the conflict in Gaza. Leaked internal communications suggest that political pressure may be at play in the authorities’ decision-making process regarding the activists' expulsion[1][2].
- EU
- Administrative Court
- Berlin
- Middle East Conflict
- Expulsion
- Ireland
- Free University of Berlin
- Pro-Palestinian Protest
- The Administrative Court of Berlin has granted emergency applications for four individuals, including an Irish EU citizen, to prevent their expulsion, as part of the ongoing court cases involving EU citizens facing expulsion over pro-Palestinian protests.
- In the midst of the Middle East conflict, the Administrative Court in Berlin has decided that it is unjustifiable to expel the four applicants, including an Irish EU citizen, until their main proceedings are settled.
- The Administrative Court of Berlin has taken notice of the German immigration authority's failure to request necessary files from the public prosecutor’s office before making initial decisions on the expulsion of these individuals, who are mainly EU citizens.
- Amidst rising concerns over political pressure, an Irish EU citizen, three unnamed EU citizens, and an American individual are currently undergoing court proceedings in Berlin, fighting against their expulsion for participating in pro-Palestinian protests at the Free University of Berlin.
