10,000 Iraqi Asylum Seekers Face Deportation Risks in Germany

Approximately 10,000 asylum seekers from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are at risk of deportation from Germany as political parties increasingly target immigrants for blame ahead of the upcoming elections, Rudaw reported.

Irfan Karim from the Iraqi Refugees Union in Germany highlighted that political parties are using refugees as scapegoats amid Germany’s ongoing economic challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Germany, which hosts one of the largest refugee populations globally, received nearly 175,000 asylum claims in 2024, according to United Nations figures. With parliamentary elections set for February 23, support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which opposes migration and advocates for mass deportations, is rising.

In late January, the German parliament passed a motion tightening migration rules, focusing on preventing illegal immigration and deporting foreign criminals. Many young individuals from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region continue to seek better lives in Europe, often relying on smuggling routes to reach Germany.