Denial of Travel for Syrian Nationals - BAMF Enforces Cancellation of Expeditions - Bamf's Pondering Over Potential Withdrawal of Travel Authorizations for Syrians
In recent years, Germany has maintained a cautious approach towards its asylum policy for Syrians, with a focus on limiting automatic reassessment and suspension of protection status. This approach stems from the ongoing instability in Syria and the need for reliable evaluation before revoking protection status.
Under the current policy, the Federal Ministry of the Interior has decided against allowing short-term home trips for Syrian refugees without affecting their protection status. This decision suggests that such trips may be scrutinized to assess if protection reasons persist, although no specific mention regarding exploratory trips has been made in official statements.
Family reunification for Syrians under subsidiary protection has been significantly restricted. Until 2018, family reunification was suspended for those with subsidiary protection status. While it resumed, it remains limited to a quota of 1,000 visas per month for relatives of this group. The process can involve DNA tests and long waits, causing hardship for families.
The protection status can be refused or withdrawn if serious crimes are committed. In this regard, the Federal Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), has instructed the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) to review the suspension of protection status for certain refugees from Syria. This review specifically concerns Syrian criminals and "dangerous individuals."
As of December 31, 2024, around 975,000 Syrian citizens were living in Germany, and more than 83,000 were naturalized last year. The number of Syrians who have returned to their homeland after the fall of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad last December is still relatively low. With state support, only a few hundred refugees have returned to Syria since the beginning of the year.
If BAMF becomes aware of a home trip by a protected person, it is obliged to review the case individually to determine whether the granted protection should be withdrawn. This review process is ongoing for certain Syrian refugees.
Recent political debates indicate possible forthcoming asylum law changes that could tighten conditions further, but these are still under discussion as of early July 2025. The traffic light government considered allowing exploratory trips for Syrians to their home country without affecting their protection status, but this idea was not implemented by the new federal government.
In summary, Germany's asylum policy for Syrians currently limits automatic suspension of protection status, maintains protection due to the unstable situation in Syria, restricts family reunification, and has not publicly relaxed rules on travel to Syria by protected Syrians. The review of protection status for Syrian criminals and "dangerous individuals" is ongoing.
- The ongoing review of the protection status for certain Syrian refugees by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), as instructed by the Federal Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, falls under the umbrella of policy-and-legislation and politics.
- The ongoing discussion about potential changes to asylum laws in Germany, which could tighten conditions further for Syrians, is a matter of general news, reflecting the political landscape and the evolving nature of policy regarding the Syrian refugee crisis.
