Between right and left, uncertain future for Iranian refugees in Germany

The political and media arenas in Germany are witnessing a fierce debate regarding the deportation of Iranian immigrants and asylum seekers to their country, despite the violent campaigns launched by the Iranian regime against political activists.

While German Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser said that the deportation of any Iranian seeking asylum in her country should be prevented, which some states and organizations advocating for refugee rights agreed with, the conservative currents in the opposition say that the matter should not include everyone.

Protests erupted in Iran after the killing of the young woman Mahsa Amini on September 16 in the Iranian capital, Tehran, due to allegations by the Iranian morality police that she was not wearing the hijab in a “proper way.”

The conservative argument in Germany is that some Iranian hardline figures and criminals may benefit from the decision.

Christoph de Vries, from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which rejects the inclusiveness of the decision, gave the example of the deputy head of the Islamic Center in Hamburg (IZH), Soleiman Mousavifar, who was deported by the German government some time ago due to allegations of his contact with terrorist organizations and his suspicious relationship with the Iranian regime.

Those who reject the inclusiveness of the decision include the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian counterpart, the Christian Social Union (CSU).

In turn, Pro Asyl, an organization advocating for immigrants and refugees, believes that in light of the torture campaigns that Iran is threatening, not being subjected to torture, as a universal human right, should apply even to dangerous people. The organization said that whoever commits a crime in Germany “must appear before the German courts.”

The political debate extended to state levels of government. Some German states have already decided to halt deportations, such as Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The state of Bavaria, which is governed by the CSU, has indicated its desire to retain the ability to deport people who commit criminal offenses or who pose a threat to public safety. The government of Saxony, which is led by the Christian Democrats, agreed with this.

Last October, the German Federal Interior Ministry said that about 12,000 Iranians were threatened with deportation to their country. However, the German government said that only 31 people were returned to Iran from the beginning of the year through August, compared to 28 in 2021; most of them had committed crimes.

Regarding the situation of Iranian refugees and immigrants in Germany, Lower Saxony State Minister for Interior Boris Pistorius, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), said that “the human rights situation is catastrophic and is getting more tragic day by day.”

This was confirmed by the Minister of Social Affairs, Youth, Family, Senior Citizens, Integration and Equality of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, Aminata Touré, who belongs to the Green Party, as she called for “a reassessment of legal challenges regarding residence status,” which means a blanket ban on deportations of Iranians.