A political confrontation is sharpening in Berlin over the future of Syrian refugees, as conservative lawmakers in Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s governing bloc press for rapid deportations—directly rebuffing a recent appeal from Damascus to slow the process.
Despite a formal request from Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urging Germany to delay removals, senior figures in the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) are calling for an accelerated return of Syrians, beginning with convicted criminals and individuals deemed security threats.
The dispute underscores a widening gap between the German government’s increasingly hardline migration agenda and the fragile, still-unrecovered conditions inside Syria.
“The Right to Protection Has Expired”
Alexander Throm, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group’s spokesperson on internal affairs, dismissed Syria’s diplomatic intervention, insisting that German asylum policy cannot be shaped by the preferences of countries of origin.
“Rights of residence are not determined by the wishes of the countries of origin, but by whether there is an entitlement to protection,” Throm told Focus. “This entitlement has expired following the fall of the Assad regime.”
Syria Urges Germany to Halt Mass Refugee Returns, Warns of Deepening Humanitarian Crisis
Throm argued that returns are now feasible, suggesting that deportees could be sent to “safe areas” within Syria. “Who other than the Syrians themselves should rebuild the country after the war?” he added.
Marion Gentges, Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Justice and Migration, echoed this stance. She warned against delaying removals and emphasized a strict approach toward offenders.
“We have an interest in dangerous criminals and individuals who pose a threat to our country leaving. Therefore, such deportations to Syria must be carried out decisively,” she said. Gentges noted that well-integrated Syrians can obtain permanent residency through employment, but insisted that “in the foreseeable future, people without a right to stay should also be deported to Syria.”
CSU interior expert Stephan Mayer predicted that a “vast majority” of Syrians currently under temporary protection will return “in the coming months and years,” arguing that expecting Syrians to contribute to reconstruction is “not an exaggeration.”
Coalition Partners and Damascus Urge Caution
The conservative push is facing resistance from within the governing coalition. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), Merz’s junior partner, is advocating a more cautious approach.
Serdar Yüksel, an SPD Bundestag member who recently visited Syria, warned that mass returns could destabilize a country still lacking basic infrastructure.
“In many places, there are no schools, no hospitals, no water, and no sewage systems,” he said. “There is no reconstruction in Syria yet.”
Yüksel urged the government to allow Syrians with temporary residency to make short, exploratory visits to assess conditions without automatically losing their protected status—a penalty currently imposed on anyone who returns.
Calls for restraint are also coming from Damascus. Last week, Muhammad Yaqub al-Omar, Director of Consular Affairs at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, appealed directly to Germany for patience, warning that large-scale returns would worsen the humanitarian crisis.
“The return of thousands of Syrians to Syria at this time could worsen the humanitarian situation and could mean many are forced to live in refugee camps,” al-Omar told Focus, noting that roughly 1.5 million people already live in tent camps in the country’s north.
Policy Already Underway
The pressure for deportations stems from the governing coalition’s agreement, which includes a “clear promise of deportation” targeting criminals and individuals considered dangerous. Implementation has already begun. In December, Germany carried out its first deportation to Syria since 2011, sending back a convicted criminal. Three more convicted men were deported in January.
In a separate case illustrating the legal complexities surrounding Syria, a Dutch court sentenced a 29-year-old Syrian man to three years in prison for kidnapping his two young children. The man had taken them on what was supposed to be a holiday to Greece but instead traveled with them to Syria without their mother’s consent. He was arrested upon arrival at Düsseldorf Airport in August.
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.
