Germany Does It Again

I was doing some Google Reader catch-up tasks yesterday afternoon when I came across this article on HSLDA. Once again, the German authorities are persecuting homeschoolers. Why?

German officials appear to be more determined than ever to rid their country of influences that may contribute to the rise of what they call Parallelgesellschaften, parallel societies.

Apparently, American missionary homeschoolers constitute the latest dangerous influence in this category. Again, from the article:

Never mind that Germany has hundreds of thousands of genuinely truant youth hanging around street corners; school officials have determined that parents diligently educating their children at home are a greater danger to German society. Now it would seem that German officials are not content to go after their own citizens, but are also targeting American missionaries who homeschool.

Case in point, the Robinsons, a family of five who arrived in Germany this past spring to serve as independent Baptist missionaries and who also homeschool their three children. The Robinsons were denied a residency permit, a government issued document required of all persons residing in the country beyond 90 days.

Of course, the grounds given for this refusal [were] that it was in the best interest of Germany to protect itself from the development of Parallelgesellschaften.

Upon receipt of this refusal, the family was given 45 days to leave Germany or they would face “forcible deportation.” Fortunately, the Schulunterricht Zu Hause, an organization much like HSLDA, has stepped in to defend the family. The current status of the dispute:

The Robinsons are now working on a compromise that may result in a two-year visa, but to get it they will apparently be forced to promise they will leave at the end of that time and not seek an extension.

I will keep you updated. In the meantime, prayers for this family would be greatly appreciated.