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

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

The conflict in Syria continues to influence the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner is now considering forced repatriations of Syrians after only around 250 out of 100,000 Syrians have returned since the change of power in Syria. This low number raises questions raised by Karner: “Each case should be viewed individually, as the security situation varies depending on population and religious groups,” such as vienna.at reported.

The background to these considerations is the overthrow of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which occurred in December 2024 by rebels led by the Islamist militia Hajat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This political change has significantly invigorated the debate about how to deal with refugee Syrians in Germany and other countries. Immediately after the change of power, the UNHCR estimated that a million returnees from Syria's neighbors are expected in the period from January to June 2025, while large parts of the country remain destroyed and 16.7 million people need humanitarian assistance bpb.de determines.

Government plans return options for refugees

In order to enable the Syrian refugees to return, the federal government is planning to allow them 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. The Ministry of the Interior, together with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), is examining “pragmatic ways” to implement this regulation tagesschau.de reported.

This one-off trip is expected to give refugees the opportunity to review the situation in Syria before considering permanent return. However, there are critical voices about these plans: The Union describes the proposals as “adventurous”. Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann particularly emphasized that the decision on protection status should rest solely with the German authorities.

Current situation of Syrian refugees in Germany

According to the BAMF, around 975,000 Syrian nationals were living 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 Register of Foreigners, 88% of whom had recognized protection status. What is particularly important is that 39% of recognized refugees enjoy refugee status and 34% enjoy subsidiary protection. This makes Syrian nationals the second largest group of those seeking protection in Germany after Ukrainians.

The social and economic conditions of Syrian refugees in Germany are also an issue. As of September 2024, there were approximately 287,000 Syrian nationals employed, with 41.7% employed subject to social security contributions, which was significantly reduced compared to the average rate of 56% for foreigners. These numbers illustrate the challenges that many Syrians face in Germany and give an idea of ​​how complex the debate about return and integration actually is.