Overview
- Rhineland-Palatinate introduced a three-month stop on deportations to Iran, with any extension requiring approval from the Federal Interior Ministry.
- The SPD released a position paper urging an immediate nationwide halt and the resumption of humanitarian visas for vulnerable people from Iran.
- An open letter by activists, including Daniela Sepheri and Düzen Tekkal, called for protection for persecuted journalists, human-rights defenders and protesters.
- BAMF data for 2025 show a 22.8% protection rate for Iranian asylum seekers, while the Interior Ministry recorded 17 deportations through November.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the Iranian regime on January 9 alongside French and British leaders, yet the federal government has not announced a nationwide stop.