An Ezidi man from Shengal is living in church asylum in a city in Germany after receiving a decision ordering his transfer to Bulgaria.
According to German broadcaster SWR, he has lived in Germany for eight years, learned German, worked, completed vocational training and has close family members in the country with a legal right to remain.
German authorities rejected his asylum application and plan to transfer him to Bulgaria, where he was first registered upon entering the European Union. He fears that a transfer could ultimately expose him to removal to Iraq, where the security situation in Shengal remains dangerous for Ezidis.
A Protestant congregation has provided temporary shelter for the past three weeks. Church asylum does not grant formal legal immunity, but it can give authorities time to review a case where serious injustice may result.
The case highlights the uncertainty faced by Ezidis in Germany when long residence, integration and family ties collide with EU asylum-transfer rules.
