Following the collapse of the Assad government, a limited number of Syrians residing in Germany chose to go back to their home country - Following the collapse of the Assad government, a small number of Syrians chose to return from Germany
In the wake of the fall of the Assad regime and the establishment of a new transitional government in Syria, one might expect a significant number of Syrians living in Germany to return to their homeland. However, this is not the case, as a majority of Syrians in Germany prefer to stay put due to ongoing concerns about safety, economic instability, and limited services in Syria.
According to a recent report, only about 1,188 Syrians have officially benefited from voluntary return programs offering financial incentives, such as travel cost coverage and €1,000 payments [1]. A study shows that 66% of Syrians in Germany prefer to stay permanently due to the social safety nets and benefits offered [2].
The political transition in Syria has indeed encouraged some movement back, with nearly 690,000 Syrian refugees returning regionally, and projections up to 1.5 million by the end of 2025 [3][4][5]. However, the overall environment remains unstable and unattractive for many Syrians living in Germany and other Western countries.
While heavy clashes occurred between different ethnic groups in the southern Syrian province of Suwaida in mid-July, resulting in more than 1400 deaths [4], a ceasefire has been agreed upon. Yet, renewed skirmishes have occurred, and the exact time period over which the violence was observed is not specified [6].
The responsibility for repatriations from Germany to Syria lies with the states, but it is unclear whether the 193 Syrian departures supported by individual federal state programs are included in the 2727 Syrian nationals who left Germany without support [1]. As of the end of June, 2727 Syrian nationals have left Germany without any support from the government [7].
The report does not provide information on the reasons for the low number of Syrian returnees to Germany. The ARD television program "Panorama" conducted an inquiry about repatriations from Germany to Syria, but the source or context of the report remains unclear [8]. It is important to note that no repatriations from Germany to Syria have been carried out so far.
References:
[1] [ARD television program "Panorama"] [2] [Study by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs] [3] [UNHCR report] [4] [Syrian Observatory for Human Rights] [5] [International Organization for Migration] [6] [Syrian Observatory for Human Rights] [7] [Federal Ministry of the Interior data] [8] [ARD television program "Panorama"]
After the fall of the Assad regime, only a few Syrians living in Germany who participated in voluntary return programs have chosen to go back to Syria, such as the 1,188 reported by a recent study [1]. Despite political transitions in Syria and war-and-conflicts related news, most Syrians in Germany, as shown by a study, prefer to stay permanently due to social safety nets and benefits offered, with 66% of Syrians preferring to remain in Germany [2].
