ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 30,000 Iraqis have been denied asylum by the German government in recent years and over 250 of them have been deported, according to data Rudaw obtained from the German interior ministry.
A spokesperson from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior told Rudaw's Zinar Shino in an email on Friday that Germany had rejected the cases of 31,000 Iraqi asylum seekers in recent years. They have been notified to leave the country. The ministry also said 28,000 of these Iraqis have been granted Duldung - a temporary permit to remain in Germany.
During this period, 256 Iraqis have been deported - 43 to Iraq and the rest to other countries - according to the ministry.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani headed an Iraqi delegation to Germany in January. Fuad Hussein, Iraq’s foreign minister, told Rudaw at the time that the Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz had requested Sudani to support them to find a mechanism to deport tens of thousands of Iraqis who are illegally staying in Germany.
“He said that 35,000-36,000 Iraqis [in Germany] do not have residency permits. He requested the Iraqi side to help him find a way to return these people to their country because they do not have citizenship or residency there [Germany],” Hussein said.
The German Federal Ministry of the Interior told Rudaw that they do not have deals with the Iraqi government to deport asylum seekers.
“We have not signed any deals with the Iraqi government to deport the asylum-seekers. There is not such a deal even at the level of the European Union. However, those Iraqis who have not been granted asylum and their chances of getting it are weak have to return to their country,” said the spokesperson.
The ministry said Germany has come under fire for failing to deport those people whose cases have been rejected, adding this “motive” pushes the German government to consider deporting Iraqis.
Tens of thousands of mostly young people leave Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for Europe annually in search of a better life, using people’s smuggling routes. A number of these migrants die in freezing temperatures on the border and others drown in the sea. Many of them plan to arrive in Germany.
Some others used the English Channel to reach England but many could not survive the harsh conditions of the water.
A spokesperson from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior told Rudaw's Zinar Shino in an email on Friday that Germany had rejected the cases of 31,000 Iraqi asylum seekers in recent years. They have been notified to leave the country. The ministry also said 28,000 of these Iraqis have been granted Duldung - a temporary permit to remain in Germany.
During this period, 256 Iraqis have been deported - 43 to Iraq and the rest to other countries - according to the ministry.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani headed an Iraqi delegation to Germany in January. Fuad Hussein, Iraq’s foreign minister, told Rudaw at the time that the Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz had requested Sudani to support them to find a mechanism to deport tens of thousands of Iraqis who are illegally staying in Germany.
“He said that 35,000-36,000 Iraqis [in Germany] do not have residency permits. He requested the Iraqi side to help him find a way to return these people to their country because they do not have citizenship or residency there [Germany],” Hussein said.
The German Federal Ministry of the Interior told Rudaw that they do not have deals with the Iraqi government to deport asylum seekers.
“We have not signed any deals with the Iraqi government to deport the asylum-seekers. There is not such a deal even at the level of the European Union. However, those Iraqis who have not been granted asylum and their chances of getting it are weak have to return to their country,” said the spokesperson.
The ministry said Germany has come under fire for failing to deport those people whose cases have been rejected, adding this “motive” pushes the German government to consider deporting Iraqis.
Tens of thousands of mostly young people leave Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for Europe annually in search of a better life, using people’s smuggling routes. A number of these migrants die in freezing temperatures on the border and others drown in the sea. Many of them plan to arrive in Germany.
Some others used the English Channel to reach England but many could not survive the harsh conditions of the water.
Updated on August 14, 2023 to reflect the correction that Germany denied the applications in recent years, not in the last six months.
