A petition supported by IARF was presented to the Dutch House of Representatives’ Committee for Asylum and Migration on 22 September 2026. HeerlenMondiaal reports that a small delegation delivered the petition, whose presentation board recorded 6,015 signatories.
IARF co-signed the petition, following its support for young Yezidis in the Netherlands earlier this year. At Ipenburg, a member of IARF’s Dutch Chapter, attended the presentation.
A personal impression from the handover
On Tuesday 22 September 2026, I attended the presentation of the petition to members of the Dutch parliament in The Hague.
Around six Yezidis were present. Nara Silo, from Heerlen, spoke on behalf of the group, telling her story from memory. Five MPs attended, representing BBB, SGP, D66, CDA and PRO. They listened very attentively and stayed afterwards to speak with Nara at some length. I came away with a very positive feeling.
I also spoke with an older Yezidi man from Hengelo. Our conversation touched on the community’s language and the oral transmission of its religion and history. I still know little about Yezidi religion and rituals, but the conversation left me reflecting on the vulnerability of a religious and cultural heritage passed down in this way.
At Ipenburg
The concerns raised
The petition, published in Dutch, asks the authorities to reassess the protection available to Yezidis who face return to Iraq. Its organisers point to continuing insecurity and displacement, the absence of effective protection, and inadequate living conditions and services in areas of return. They argue that these circumstances require particular attention in asylum decisions.
Yezidis are an ethnic and religious minority from Iraq. The petition places their present concerns in the context of the 2014 genocide perpetrated by ISIS and its continuing consequences for survivors and displaced families. It asks for a reassessment of their specific vulnerability and of the conditions for a safe and sustainable return.
Following up on IARF’s June appeal
On 19 June, IARF published an appeal about the petition, inviting members and readers resident in the Netherlands to read and share it. The parliamentary handover is the next reported stage of that campaign. Presenting a petition does not, in itself, constitute a change in asylum policy or a decision on individual applications.
The organisers’ handover report includes photographs and links to Dutch newspaper coverage. The full petition text is also available in Dutch.
Updated on 26 September 2026 to add At Ipenburg’s personal account and photographs from the handover, shared with permission.