Brandenburg seeks return of Yezidi family to Germany after appeal

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Brandenburg's minister of the interior, René Wilke, is in favour of the return to Germany of a Yezidi family that was deported to Iraq earlier this week despite winning an appeal.

The family with four underage children was deported from Germany on Tuesday, although a court had cancelled their obligation to leave the country that very day.

"In view of the concatenation of circumstances, the specific fate of the family and the need to establish legal conformity, I have instructed the responsible authorities in Brandenburg to work in coordination with the federal authorities to ensure the speedy return of the family, provided the court decision is upheld," Wilke said on Friday.

The Yezidi are a religious minority. The family's lawyer had filed an urgent application with the Potsdam Administrative Court on Tuesday before the deportation flight.

The court upheld their urgent appeal against their removal, but by the time the decision was handed down, they were already on the plane.

The Foreign Office is ready to issue the necessary papers in the event of their return.

"We welcome the fact that the facts of the case are being carefully examined by the competent authorities," a spokeswoman said.

The Potsdam Administrative Court has already received an application for the family's return. A court spokesperson told dpa that the aim is to immediately reverse the deportation and grant re-entry.