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I was born in Iraq and lived there for sixteen years. My family and I are Yazidi, a religious minority mainly living in Shingal in Iraq. Because of the war and the arrival of ISIS, life became impossible for us. ISIS destroyed everything, killed the men, and took the women. There was no safety and no future for us anymore. Even on the Iraqi personal ID, the religion is written clearly, and this created serious problems for us. For these reasons, we decided to leave the country.

I left with my four brothers and my two sisters. Our goal was to reach Germany. We knew that Germany had the largest Yazidi community outside Iraq, and at that time it was possible to ask for asylum there because Chancellor Merkel had announced that refugees were welcome. We were confident that once we reached Germany, we would not be sent back to Iraq.

The journey took forty days. We travelled through Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, and other countries before reaching Germany. From Iraq to the first border we took a bus, and after that we continued on foot. The border between Turkey and the European Union was the most difficult one: many armed men were there and did not want people to cross. We had to pass during the night, through forest and barbed wire. When we finally entered Greece, the police arrested us and we stayed one week in prison because we had crossed the border illegally. At every border they asked which country we wanted to go to, and we always answered “Germany.” They gave us temporary papers that were changed again at the next border. It was winter—December 2015—and it was very cold.

After arriving in Germany, my siblings and I were distributed to different cities by the authorities, without being able to choose. Now we all live in the same region, around Bonn.

I have been in Germany for ten years now, and two months ago I obtained German citizenship. I live here and I study social work in Münster. I often tell my story to students in schools, because it is important to explain why many people like me are forced to leave their country.

The main reason I am here is that, because of my religion, it was no longer possible to live in Iraq. This is my story.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 5, 2026 at 6:31 PM

    To read such a story—despite how short it is—is deeply moving and empowering. One would like to believe that our world is tolerant and forgiving, yet reading this reminds us that even today people are still persecuted because of their beliefs and religions. This is beyond humanity and truly a form of evil.

    I am glad that you became a German citizen, which offers protection and allows you to exercise your rights. I am deeply sorry that this happened to you and to so many others in this forum but I admir the strength and stamina it took to fight for safety and security.

    ReplyDelete

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