"Dear Secretary of the Interior Nancy Faeser,

We, the signatories of this petition, including Dr. Rakan Matro, an orthopedic surgeon, as well as Delshad Ido, who initiated a petition in Switzerland to recognize the genocide of Yazidis in Iraq in 2014, appeal to your compassion and ask for your support. We demand an immediate halt to the deportation of Yazidi refugees from the Federal Republic of Germany.

On January 19, 2023, the German Bundestag officially recognized the Yazidi genocide. The Genocide Agreement of January 19, 2023 (paragraph 19, print issue 20/5228, Bundestag.de) states that Yazidis must be granted protection in the asylum procedure because of their continued persecution and discrimination.

An important part of overcoming and processing trauma is reunification with one's own family, which should be possible within the legal framework. Despite this agreement, these victims of genocide will be deported to Iraq. The justification for these deportations is the supposedly improved security situation in Iraq, although the Foreign Office warns against travel to Iraq (as of October 22, 2023) and there is actual evidence of the resurgence of ISIS. In 2023, Iraq will be one of the top 10 most dangerous countries in the world according to the Global Peace Index.

Question for the federal government: what has improved in these nine months since the recognition of the Yazidi genocide in Germany?

The Yazidi genocide continues: at least 2,500 women and children are still missing. Hundreds of thousands of Yazidis are still living in displacement camps (in tents) and many more outside the regular camps. The reconstruction of Shangal (Sinjar) has not even begun and the region lies in ruins and there are still mined fields. Extremely poor people, deprived of any financial opportunities and with a very precarious security situation, are forced to stay in tents, they have been living in tents in various cities in northern Iraq for almost 10 years.

Yazidi refugees no longer have any existence or prospects in their homeland, they have overcome difficulties on their way to Germany in search of safety. Furthermore, the German Bundestag recognizes that the Federal Republic of Germany, as a country of immigration, is home to the largest Yazidi diaspora in the world. These genocide survivors yearn for a life of peace and freedom after years of persecution and discrimination.

We call on you Minister, please ensure an immediate halt to deportations and the right to stay for all Yazidis who would like to finally feel safe in Germany to build a new home.

We also ask you to ensure the immediate implementation of paragraph 19 of the Genocide Convention (Document 20/5228).

We urge you to sign this letter to finally stop the deportation of genocide victims and give these people a chance to live in dignity and safety".

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