It may perhaps be irrelevant to the main story, but homeschoolers in Germany don’t necessarily have the right to move to another EU Member country. The recent case of the Wunderlich homeschooling family, where police invaded their homeschool with battering rams and took away their children. Not only were their children forcibly enrolled in school (which is normal for Germany) and returned only when they committed to sending them to school. The judgment acknowledges that the children are “academically proficient, well-adjusted socially and without educational deficiencies”, but proceeds to bar the family from leaving Germany when they wanted to migrate to France, where homeschooling is legal. Reason? “Concrete endangerment to children” it seems.

Thank you for your time and considered response. Your answer is part of the reason why I read Overlawyered, Volokh*, Popehat, Legal Insurrection, and it appears I should add Althouse to my feed.

I have heard of free movement within the EU, but never understood the term applied to permanent residence–now I know.

I believe now (after an initial gut reaction against anything ICE does under the current administration) that a compulsory secular education in a western democracy is an extremely low bar for religious persecution. I certainly don’t agree with Germany’s policy, but in a country where nationalism and xenophobia have run amok, I understand.

*Volokh completely opened my eyes regarding the need, in some areas at least, to consider foreign law in the formation and adjudication of U.S. law–not a 180° turn, but a 540° turn.

Also, as a condition of full EU membership, must all nations accept permanent resident status for citizens of other EU nations?

You appear to answer my questions in your post, but since I find your statements surprising, I would appreciate confirmation that I have correctly understood them. THX