Yazan’s family faces deportation deadline from Iceland as urgent arrangements needed for Spain

Yazan’s family faces urgent circumstances as the deadline approaches for their deportation from Iceland. If arrangements are not made to send Yazan and his family to Spain by Saturday, September 21, responsibility for their case will shift to the Icelandic government due to the expiration of the six-month period stipulated by the Dublin Regulation.

Yazan’s family applied for international protection in Iceland on May 17, 2023, following an approval from Spain to accept them based on the same regulation. Despite their application, the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration decided on October 17, 2023, to reject their request for international protection and ordered their removal from the country.

Several key dates map the family’s journey:

– **May 17, 2023:** Application for international protection submitted.
– **June 6, 2023:** Icelandic authorities request Spain to accept the family.
– **June 15, 2023:** Spain agrees to accept the family under the Dublin Regulation.
– **March 21, 2024:** The Appeals Committee upholds the decision to deny the family’s application.
– **September 15, 2024:** Police attempts to apprehend Yazan and his family for deportation, which was temporarily halted by the Minister of Justice.

The parents expressed concerns regarding inadequate healthcare in Spain and a fear of a former family member living there. The Directorate of Immigration dismissed these concerns, asserting that access to healthcare in Spain and the family’s placement within the Spanish asylum system did not constitute valid grounds for their request in Iceland.

Despite a renewed application appealing for a review of Yazan’s medical needs, the Appeals Committee rejected it, maintaining that previous decisions would stand and the family must be deported by September 21.