Jens Dieckmann has been invited by the Internal Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag, upon the proposal of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, to serve as a legal expert at a public hearing of the Parliament on the topic “Residence Rights for Yezidi Women and Men.”
The subject of the Committee’s public hearing is a draft law introduced in Parliament by the party BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN, which aims to grant permanent humanitarian residence rights to those victims of the 2014 genocide against the Yezidis who are currently living in Germany.
Jens Dieckmann has submitted a written expert opinion and will be available to answer Members of Parliament’s questions on 23 February 2026 from 1 p.m. CET.
Background
On 19 January 2023, the German Bundestag unanimously adopted a resolution recognising the massacres committed against the Yezidis by IS in 2014 as genocide within the meaning of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. However, this resolution initially had no consequences in terms of residence or asylum law. Since 2023, rejected asylum seekers have again been regularly deported from Germany to Iraq, including Yezidis who—following the defeat of IS—have had very limited chances of obtaining international protection in Germany.
Various cross‑party initiatives have now been put forward to remedy this situation. The hearing will examine whether the draft legislation under consideration is suitable for giving effect to the spirit and purpose of the 2023 resolution.
Jens Dieckmann is a Germany Lawyer and Associated Tenant at 9BR Chambers. He is a nationally and internationally recognised expert in asylum law at the intersection with international criminal law.
Read the legal expert report here
