Earlier this week, the Reykjavík District Court invalidated the decision of the Directorate of Immigration and the Immigration Appeals Board that previously rejected the asylum application of Claudia & Partners clients, an Iraqi family of five, and ordered their deportation back to Greece.
Our clients sought international protection in Iceland in late 2020 after fleeing homelessness and destitution in Greece, a country where they received international protection. However, their applications were denied by Icelandic immigration authorities.
Our clients’ forcible removal from Iceland to Greece in November 2022, just days before their cases were to be heard in the Reykjavík District Court, sparked widespread public outrage and scrutiny of the conduct of the immigration authorities and the Icelandic police who executed the deportation order. The authorities were criticized, among other things, for their treatment of the family, including a severely disabled man.
The family unexpectedly returned to Iceland after a five-week stay in Greece to the court’s judgment in their favor.
Our clients now await the decision from the Icelandic state on whether it will appeal the ruling of the District Court or whether it will process their application for international protection in Iceland.
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