A planned joint visit to Syria by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and her Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner was abruptly cancelled on Thursday due to credible warnings of a potential terrorist threat, German newspaper Bild reported.
The ministers, along with their accompanying delegations, were scheduled to travel from Amman, Jordan, to Damascus early Thursday morning. However, German security services issued specific alerts warning of a possible attack targeting the delegations, prompting an immediate decision to call off the visit.
A spokesperson for Germany’s Interior Ministry confirmed the cancellation, stating: “Based on concrete warnings from German security services regarding a potential terrorist threat, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser decided to cancel her planned visit to Damascus this morning, before departing from Amman.” The threat was believed to potentially target both the German and Austrian delegations.
The visit had been organized under tight security and was kept confidential until the last moment. According to Bild, the itinerary included high-level meetings with two ministers from Syria’s caretaker government, as well as representatives from UN-affiliated humanitarian organizations. Discussions were expected to centre on security cooperation and the potential return of Syrian refugees.
Refugee Repatriation Talks and Political Context
The cancelled trip comes just one week after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made a landmark visit to Damascus, where she officially reopened the German embassy after more than 12 years of closure. During that visit, she met with transitional Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking their second public meeting since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Faeser had reportedly engaged in confidential talks with Sharaa regarding the potential repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees currently residing in Germany. The discussions included proposals for “exploratory visits” that would allow some refugees to return to Syria temporarily without losing their legal status in Germany.
Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior is working in coordination with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to develop practical mechanisms for accelerating voluntary returns. Reports suggest that the initiative could eventually impact up to 974,000 Syrian refugees living in Germany.
Separately, German State Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Niels Annen held talks in Damascus with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani, though details of their discussions remain undisclosed.
The abrupt cancellation of Thursday’s visit underscores the volatile security environment in Syria—even amid renewed international engagement—and highlights the risks facing foreign officials seeking to negotiate refugee returns and post-conflict cooperation with the country’s transitional authorities
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
