Ezidis in Limbo
Welcome to the RI Bulletin. Let’s dive in.
Ten years on, displaced Ezidi survivors have little prospect of safely returning to their homes in Iraq – and those who do face ongoing threats, deprivation, and marginalization. Meanwhile, they lack safe pathways to Europe, where they have relatives. And those in Europe live in an untenable limbo, lacking secure legal status or integration support.
In late 2023, Refugees International and Voice of Ezidis interviewed Ezidis who made harrowing journeys through Türkiye to Greece. Some told the team that they lost, left behind, or were separated from family members en route. For many Ezidi survivors from the historically tight-knit community, family reunification was among their primary concerns.
The new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is an opportunity to pilot policies that will better support Ezidis seeking protection and integration in Europe. Humanitarian and family unification pathways should be a component of genocide recognition by European countries. Read more from Yael Schacher and Farhad Shamo Roto.
More on pathways for Ezidis:
Al Jazeera English: Ten years after Yazidi genocide, survivors struggle to rebuild lives
Channel 8: Yazidi genocide survivors struggle to rebuild lives a decade later
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El Fasher is on the verge of collapse. President Biden must act with urgency.
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