Dobrindt advocates for revoking the protective status granted to Syrians - Government Official Proposes Removing Refugee Status for Syrians
In the midst of May 2025, Germany played host to approximately 961,511 Syrian refugees, the majority of whom held limited residence permits. This figure, however, does not reflect a widespread revocation of refugee status, as the focus of the Federal Ministry of the Interior under Alexander Dobrindt has been on tightening migration controls rather than mass status revocations.
One of the key changes in migration policy under the new conservative-led government has been the suspension of the right to family reunification for refugees with subsidiary protection status, a category to which many Syrians belong. This suspension, passed by the Bundestag and effective for two years, has deepened family separations for tens of thousands of Syrians, limiting their ability to bring spouses or children to Germany.
Regarding deportations, Dobrindt has emphasised the need for reducing refugee arrivals and increasing deportations, including negotiating agreements with countries like Afghanistan and Syria to accept deported migrants, particularly convicted criminals. Germany resumed deportations to Afghanistan in 2025 and is seeking a direct agreement with the Taliban, while efforts to arrange deportations to Syria, now under an Islamist government following Assad’s fall, are also underway.
However, concrete data on the number of individual cases of Syrian refugee status revocations initiated or concluded is not publicly available in the provided search results. Reports focus more on policy shifts such as family reunification suspension and plans to enhance deportations rather than detailed statistics about status revocations.
Criticism of the repatriation plans has come from various political factions, including the Greens and the Left, who argue that the current situation in Syria does not warrant the revocation of refugee status or the deportation of Syrians. Clara Bunger, the migration policy spokeswoman of the Left faction, pointed out that Syria is not safe despite Bashar al-Assad no longer being in power, with massive violent clashes against various minorities still occurring.
Filiz Polat, a Green member of the Bundestag, has demanded quick processing of naturalizations, stating that revocation procedures are not appropriate given the current situation in Syria. Meanwhile, Alexander Throm (CDU), internal affairs spokesman of the Union faction, has criticised the repatriation plans, stating that it's fair for people seeking protection to return to their homeland when the danger is over.
In addition to voluntary departures, there have been 804 cases of Syrian women and men leaving Germany within the framework of the federal-state funding program REAG/GARP between January and the end of May. It's worth noting that serious crimes can lead to the revocation of protection granted by the BAMF.
Gottfried Curio, the internal affairs spokesman of the AfD faction, believes it's time for the federal government to adjust its asylum policy considering the new realities in Syria. The coalition contract between Union and SPD includes provisions for deportations to Syria and Afghanistan, starting with criminals and threats.
In conclusion, while active policy steps have been taken to restrict rights and increase deportations, exact figures on revoking Syrian refugee status have not been disclosed. The focus appears to be on negotiating deportation agreements with Syria, as well as suspending the right to family reunification for Syrian refugees with subsidiary protection.
- The focus of the German government, under Alexander Dobrindt's leadership, has been on tightening migration controls, such as suspending the right to family reunification for refugees with subsidiary protection status, rather than mass revocation of refugee status.
- Criticism of the repatriation plans, advocating against the revocation of refugee status or the deportation of Syrians, has come from various political factions, including the Greens and the Left, who argue that the current situation in Syria does not warrant such actions.
