Absence of Grounds for Restoration of Yazidi Family in Brandenburg

Deportation of Yazidi Family Sparks Controversy in Brandenburg

A Yazidi family from Brandenburg was deported to Iraq on July 22, after a series of legal proceedings that caused a stir beyond the state. The Central Foreigner's Office of Brandenburg issued a notification for collective deportation in mid-May this year, following the receipt of passport substitute papers.

The family, consisting of four minor children, had been living in Germany since 2016. According to the Interior Ministry, they had been deportable since May 2023. The Administrative Court of Potsdam dismissed the family's appeal against the rejection of their asylum application as unfounded.

Despite not seeing a significant individual threat such as persecution by the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS), the family's deportation was carried out. In 2023, the Bundestag recognized the crimes of the terrorist militia IS against the Yazidis in 2014 as genocide.

The Interior Ministry stated that the family was aware that a return could have taken place at the latest with the issuance of travel documents by the Iraqi embassy. The family had been tolerated by the foreigner's office of the Uckermark district since May 2023, with the tolerance granted for three months at a time, subject to the condition that it would be lifted with the deportation or departure date.

The case has sparked protests, with a school class from Lychen campaigning for their return. Politicians from the SPD, Greens, and the Left have also demanded the return of the family, who are living with relatives in Iraq. The Interior Minister, René Wilke, had previously announced his intention to bring the family back quickly with the federal government's coordination, provided there was a corresponding legal basis.

However, the Brandenburg state government sees no possibility of bringing back the deported family due to a lack of legal basis. In February 2024, the family rejected an offer of advice on voluntary departure. The Administrative Court refused to order Germany to bring them back in August.

The Jesids, the religious minority to which the family belongs, have been the target of persecution by IS in the past. The Interior Ministry mentioned that the threat of deportation from May 2023 was explicitly pointed out in each extension of tolerance. The family's deportation has raised questions about the balance between national security and the protection of vulnerable groups.