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A Yazidi woman attending a ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide in St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt, Germany, on August 4, 2024. Photo: Rudaw/screengrab
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Tens of thousands of Yazidis who fled Islamic State (ISIS) atrocities and sought refuge in Germany now face the threat of deportation, sparking outcry from human rights organizations and German opposition parties as Berlin tightens its migration rules.
Amid ongoing instability in the Yazidi heartland of Shingal and poor living conditions in camps across the Kurdistan Region housing members of the ethnoreligious group, the Green Party has presented a bill in the Bundestag to halt the forced deportation of Yazidis, who number around 100,000.
The Bundestag had earlier passed a controversial motion in late January to strengthen enforcement against illegal immigration.
“Germany has a responsibility, especially as the Bundestag has recognized the Yazidi genocide. But will we continue to safeguard Yazidis? There is still a significant gap, and unfortunately, we are currently witnessing their deportation,” Marcel Emmerich, a Bundestag member from the Green Party, told Rudaw.
Emmerich added, “We do not want to see Yazidis deported. They should have the right to stay in Germany. That is why we have submitted a bill. Under this legislation, Yazidis can remain for up to three years, during which they can apply for permanent residency after fulfilling certain conditions, including learning the language and working.”
He emphasized that the initiative is a concrete demonstration of support for Yazidis. “We are backing them not just in words, but through action,” he said.
In August 2014, ISIS launched a brutal attack on Shingal, committing systematic killings, enslavement, and rape of thousands of Yazidis. Both the United Nations and the German Bundestag have recognized the attack as genocide.
Although ISIS has been expelled, much of Shingal remains devastated, lacking basic services, security, and infrastructure, with rival militias and political factions vying for control. This instability has left many Yazidis unable to return home.
Saskia Esken, former co-chair of the Social Democratic Party and Bundestag member, echoed Emmerich’s concerns. “It is encouraging that the Greens are advocating for Yazidis’ right to stay in Germany,” she said. “At the government level, we will discuss it. While I cannot promise how we will vote, Yazidis have endured genocide as a national group. Their rights must be secured.”
Esken further noted that “their stay must be guaranteed with security. At the same time, their villages need rehabilitation so they can choose where to live in safety."
Over 200,000 Yazidis live in Germany, Reem Alabali-Radovan, Germany’s state minister for integration, told Rudaw in January 2023.
Alla Shally contributed to this article from Berlin.
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