Poor living conditions in tent camps in Iraq are not enough reason to grant Yazidis residence in the Netherlands, according to Asylum Minister Bart van den Brink. In a letter to the House of Representatives, he said available information shows that Iraq is safe enough and that Yazidis do not face an increased risk.
Yazidis are a minority group whose members predominantly speak Kurdish.
The CDA minister was responding to a petition submitted in September with 5,600 signatures. It called on the government not to send Yazidi asylum seekers in the Netherlands back to Iraq. The organisations behind the petition argue that Iraq is not safe for Yazidis.
In 2014, IS began a genocide against Yazidis living in Iraq’s Sinjar Mountains. After the fall of IS, many Yazidis did not return to the area and now live in refugee camps elsewhere in Iraq.
Van den Brink said the situation is now safe enough for Yazidis to return. He added that the Iraqi government is helping them return to Sinjar.
A new report on the situation in Iraq is due to be published this year. According to Van den Brink, it will pay particular attention to the situation of Yazidis.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
