A citizen from northern Iraq of the Jesid faith expresses concerns about his upcoming life in Germany
In the heart of Stuttgart, Germany, Shivan Khorto, a dedicated educator at the Albschule, continues to make a positive impact on the lives of primary school children. With a passion for teaching and a commitment to his work, Shivan has been a valued member of the school community for five years.
Originally from Khanke, a city in the Iraqi province of Dahuk, Shivan is a member of the Yazidi ethnic-religious minority. Khanke was once a so-called "model village" for Yazidis, created on paper under Saddam Hussein in the 1980s. However, Shivan and his family were forced to flee from Islamists to Germany with his wife Rana and their first child, escaping the heavy marginalization and discrimination that Yazidis face in northern Iraq.
Caroline Lohse, the director of the Albschule, describes Shivan as bringing ideas, being reliable, and working with passion. Shivan's work at the school includes helping students with their homework, accompanying them during free play, and organising holiday activities.
Despite his contributions to the school and his integration into German society, Shivan's residence permit needs to be renewed every two years, and he and his family live in uncertainty about whether they can stay in Germany. This uncertainty is not unique to Shivan; Germany is home to the largest Yazidi diaspora in Europe, with an estimated 230,000 members of the minority residing there.
Sadly, not all Yazidis in Germany have been as fortunate as Shivan. In July 2025, a Yazidi family of two parents and four children was deported to Iraq from Germany, despite a court ruling blocking their deportation. The family had lived in Germany for several years, and the children were integrated in school. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) controversially classified them not as persecuted minority members but as economic refugees.
Other Yazidi families in Germany have received deportation notices, causing widespread anxiety. While exact nationwide figures for how many Yazidis are currently facing potential deportation in Germany are not available, the deportation of this family and the reports of ongoing deportation notices indicate that multiple Yazidis remain at risk despite the well-documented genocide and persecution they suffered in northern Iraq starting in 2014 at the hands of ISIS.
Despite the challenges he faces, Shivan remains hopeful. He enjoys working with children because he had already worked as a teacher in Iraq. However, he and other Yazidis in Germany still feel threatened by "orthodox" Muslims from the surrounding area in Khanke, their hometown in Iraq. Shivan experienced discrimination as a teacher in Iraq, being forbidden to teach even though he taught math and history, not religion.
As the situation remains tense, and Yazidis continue to be persecuted by Islamists in northern Iraq, the future for Shivan and other Yazidis in Germany remains uncertain. It is a situation that calls for continued advocacy and support for the Yazidi community, ensuring they can build a safe and secure future in their new home.
References:
- Deportation of Yazidis from Germany sparks controversy
- Germany's Yazidis live in fear of deportation
- Yazidi family deported from Germany despite court ruling
- Yazidis in Germany face threat of deportation
- Brandenburg deports Yazidi family despite ban
Shivan, being a dedicated educator at the Albschule, not only focuses on education-and-self-development of primary school children but also pursues career-development by organizing holiday activities and helping students with their homework. Unfortunately, despite his contributions to the school and the Yazidi community in Germany, he and other Yazidis must face the uncertainty of their residence permits' renewal, raising concerns about their career-development and future in Germany.
