Return of Syrians after change of power: State checks returns!

Return of Syrians after change of power: State checks returns!

Vienna, Österreich - The conflict in Syria continues to influence the return of refugee Syrians to their homeland. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner is now considering returns from Syrians after only about 250 out of 100,000 Syrians have returned since the change of power in Syria. This low number raises questions that are addressed by Karner: "Each case should be considered individually, since the security situation varies depending on the population and religious group," as vienna.at

The background of these considerations is the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which was carried out in December 2024 by rebels led by the Islamist militia Hajat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This political change has significantly revitalized the debate about dealing with refugee Syrians in Germany and other countries. Immediately after the change of power, the UNHCR estimated that in the period from January to June 2025 a million returnees from neighboring countries are expected, while large parts of the country are still destroyed and 16.7 million people need humanitarian aid, such as bpb.de

government plans to return opportunities for refugees

To enable the Syrian refugees to return, the Federal Government plans to allow them to have a one -time trip to their homeland without losing their protection status. This initiative is supported by Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser, who considers the approach to be sensible. Together with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), the Interior Ministry is examining "pragmatic paths" for the implementation of this regulation, such as Tagesschau.de

It is expected that this unique trip gives the refugees the opportunity to check the situation in Syria before thinking about a permanent return. However, there are critical voices on these plans: the Union describes the proposals as "adventurous". Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann in particular attached great importance to the fact that the decision on protection status should be among the German authorities solely.

Current situation of the Syrian refugees in Germany

According to the BAMF, around 975,000 Syrian citizens lived in Germany at the end of October 2023, mostly as asylum seekers. By the end of 2023, around 712,000 Syrian protection seekers were recorded in the central central register, 88% of whom had recognized protection status. It is particularly important that 39% of the recognized refugees enjoy refugee status and 34% of subsidiary protection. Syrian citizens thus form the second largest group among those seeking protection in Germany to Ukrainian: Inside.

The social and economic conditions of the Syrian refugees in Germany are also an issue. In September 2024, around 287,000 Syrian citizens were employed, with 41.7% subject to social security contributions, which was significantly prevented from foreigners compared to the average rate of 56%. These figures illustrate the challenges that many Syrians in Germany face and give an idea of how complex the debate about return and integration is actually.