Sema
On Sunday, politicians from Germany’s Greens stressed the importance of stopping the deportation of Ezidis, following the party’s introduction of a bill in the German parliament aimed at halting such removals.
Florian Hassler, State Secretary for Political and European Affairs in Baden-Württemberg, told that decisions about the future of Ezidis living in Germany rest with the federal government. However, he urged Berlin to show “greater accuracy” when considering their cases.
“The decision lies with the federal government, because as a state government we do not directly draft asylum or immigration laws. But…the unique circumstances of the Ezidis, who have survived genocide, cannot be compared to other people seeking refuge here. That is why we call on the federal government to approach these decisions more carefully and not return people to a region they escaped from after a horrific genocide. We are working to raise awareness about this within our institutions,” Hassler, who is also a member of the Greens, said.
With instability continuing in the Ezidi homeland of Shingal, and difficult living conditions in camps across the Kurdistan Region that host members of the community, the Greens recently submitted a bill to the Bundestag calling for an end to the forced deportation of Ezidis.
In August 2014, the Islamic State (ISIS) carried out a devastating assault on Shingal, marked by mass killings, enslavement, and sexual violence against thousands of Ezidis. Both the United Nations and the German Bundestag have officially recognized these crimes as genocide.
Although ISIS was eventually driven out, Shingal remains heavily damaged and deprived of essential services, adequate security, and stable infrastructure. Competing militias and political groups continue to struggle for control, creating an environment of instability that prevents many Ezidis from returning to their homeland.
Cem Özdemir, former minister and member of the Greens, also voiced strong opposition to the deportation of Ezidis from Germany.
“What we don’t understand is why the CDU [Christian Democratic Union] is blocking family reunification. We are talking about only around 20 cases. I simply cannot understand why Ezidis are being deported from Berlin—no reasonable person understands this. We have Turkish nationalists and Islamists here who face no consequences, yet Ezidis are being sent back. This is unacceptable,” he said.