In Germany, homeschooling is not a privilege given to their citizens. Every child must attend a school approved by the state or the parents can expect to receive fines, jail time, or even loss of custody. Uwe and Hannelore Romeike fled Germany with their five children and they are now petitioning a federal appeals court to grant them asylum in the United States. But our government’s stance is that the family was not persecuted because of the German law concerning school and children.
In 2006, the Romeikes pulled the three oldest children out of their school because they felt the school was instructing the children in matters opposed to their Christian values. Months after, and many official letters after, police came to the Romeike home and drove the children to school. Their mother, Hannelore, picked them up during recess and brought them back home. The police tried to bring the children to school again but were met at the Romeike home with protestors from their homeschool group. Then the government began issuing fines to the family upwards of $9,000. Their asylum was first granted by a Memphis judge in 2010, but the Board of Immigration Appeals later found his ruling erroneous.
Should the Romeikes receive asylum into the United States? Or are they making a mountain out of a mole hill?
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