German version / Deutsche Version

The Barjamovic family - that’s Vladica and Kadena Barjamovic with their children Nesa (16), Emanuel (14), Josif (13), Alex (6), Mario (5) and Marina (2). The German city of Magdeburg has been their home since 2011. The children have closely integrated into the local community, and father Vladica and son Mario need health care that cannot be provided for them in Serbia.

Already in 2015 and in 2016, the family was to be deported. However, the cases of illness and the particularly successful integration of the children were always able to ensure a postponement. Currently, the family is waiting for the Administrative Court of Magdeburg to decide whether the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has sufficiently considered the family’s integration in Germany. Since the children are particularly well integrated into society and have also spent most of their lives in Germany, they are to be regarded as “factual nationals” within the meaning of Articles 6 and 8 of the European Court for Human Rights and as such are entitled to a right of residence.

Currently, the family is waiting for the Administrative Court of Magdeburg to decide whether the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has sufficiently considered the family’s integration in Germany. Since the children are particularly well integrated into society and have also spent most of their lives in Germany, they are to be regarded as “factual nationals” within the meaning of Articles 6 and 8 of the ECHR. As such, they are entitled to a right of residence.

Minister of the Interior Richter, we demand a permanent residence title for the Barjamovic family!

Nesa, the eldest son of the family, has been under immense pressure for years, not knowing how long he will be allowed to stay in Germany. He takes on responsibility in his family, helping from an early age with translating letters, at appointments and in the hospital. At the moment, Nesa is finishing his vocational preparation year and doing an internship at a hairdresser. Despite the uncertain situation, he enjoys both and has already made many friends in both places.

In addition, Nesa and his brothers have found a great passion that goes hand-in-hand with extraordinary talent: breakdance. The brothers dance with great success and have made a name for themselves in the local and national dance and hip hop scene. It all started in 2013 in the shared accommodation in Buckau - and from then on, it didn’t take long until they enthusiastically went to their first competitions (so-called battles), made appearances all over the city and even won first place at the Integration Award Saxony-Anhalt in the category “Shaping Welcome Culture” in 2014 for the inclusion project “Break Chance”.

Their incredible enthusiasm for dancing was not only able to carry away other children but also inspired adults. In this way, the siblings have made an immense contribution to the lively cultural scene in Magdeburg in recent years. Their fame in the international breaking community attracted many renowned dancers to Magdeburg. With the “Break Grenzen Crew”, they danced battles all over Germany and won numerous prizes and awards. In 2017 they became German Breakdance Champions and in the same year placed 2nd in the Battle Of The Year, the biggest breakdance competition in Germany. Due to his good reputation as an up-and-coming breakdancer, Nesa was even invited to Stuttgart as a judge in 2018. Breaking has just been confirmed as a new discipline for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. As Germany’s best in their age group with three years of squad training, the brothers would certainly be outstanding performers in the German Olympic squad. Apart from their great achievements, they have strong roots in Magdeburg, made friends all over the country and have also grown very fond of us Magdeburgers.

With all these successes, dancing has now also become a professional perspective for Nesa and his brothers. He gives workshops, for example, as a volunteer for the AWO state youth organisation. He enjoys passing on his breakdance knowledge and sometimes teaches his buddies in his spare time. Nesa aims to start as a junior coach in the youth culture project “Villa Wertvoll”. Furthermore, he even has an offer from the breakdance world champions “Da Rookies” to work with them as a dancer. A return to Serbia, however, would mean the end of all these plans for the future.

But not only Nesa, for all the children of the Barjamovic family Magdeburg is home. Marina, Mario and Alex Barjamovic were born in Germany. Their older brothers Josef, Emanuel and Nesa have lived in Germany for the last nine years, went to school here and are pinning all their hopes on a secure future in Germany. Serbia has become a foreign country for them. Their mother tongue is Romani, but Serbian is the language of education in the country. Thomas Kohls, the three brothers’ temporary teacher and a graduate in Southern Slavic studies, already said in 2015: “In my opinion, the three children would not be able to follow Serbian-language lessons. [...] Their primary and so far the only language of education is German. [...] They speak German fluently, without accent and with very good grammar.” He fears “that a return to Serbia would mean exclusion from school for Nesa, Emanuel and Josif, or at worst even the de facto end of their schooling.”

Deportation would also have dramatic consequences for the other family members. Family father Vladica’s health condition is very bad, so he needs constant medical treatment. In addition, mother Kadena has been diagnosed with reduced intelligence. She can neither read nor write, which is why she can only insufficiently provide the corresponding basic support and especially the medical care for her husband and children. The youngest son Mario, diagnosed with a rare hereditary disease, is particularly affected by this. Due to certain peculiarities in the binding of enzymes, Mario’s body constantly forms kidney stones. Due to this hereditary disease, he will be dependent on medical treatment for the rest of his life. Numerous reports confirm that Roma, to which minority the family belongs, has no access to Serbia’s health system. However, the Barjamovic family urgently needs this access; otherwise, the consequences would be fatal. Repatriation to Serbia would therefore put the health of Mario and Vladica at risk.

The family has made their home here in Magdeburg, and we count them among our closest friends. The Barjamovic brothers are known within the German breakdance scene and beyond as exceptional talents. As German champions and winners of the Integration Award of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, the eldest brothers have also proven their cultural integration on several occasions.

Therefore, we ask you to support the Barjamovic family’s wish for a permanent residence title with your signature. Help Nesa and his brothers to realise their dreams without fear of deportation!