Over 1,300 Syrian nationals have relocated back to their homeland following the downfall of the Assad regime in Germany.
In the past few months, the German government has been actively encouraging Syrians to return to their home country, with an estimated 4,000 individuals, both through official and unofficial means, having returned to Syria since the civil war began, according to research by public broadcaster ARD.
This push for returns comes as the German government has suspended processing asylum applications for Syrians since December, except in certain individual cases. The suspension is aimed at assessing the security situation in Syria, and as a result, other asylum applications for Syrians have been put on hold.
The federal-state program Reintegration and Emigration Program for Asylum-Seekers in Germany, also known as the Government Assisted Repatriation Program, was initiated on January 13, 2025. So far, approximately 1,337 Syrians living in Germany have returned to Syria through these official programs since December last year, according to the German Interior Ministry.
Despite this, the exact number of Syrians who have returned to Syria from Germany since President Bashar al-Assad was deposed in December 2024 remains unclear. While there have been mentions of displacement, clashes, and casualties in Syria after Assad's fall, no publicly available data provides statistics or estimates on the number of Syrians returning from Germany, either through official repatriation programs or unofficial means.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is working towards the deportation of Syrians, according to his ministry, with the plan to start by targeting convicted criminals for deportation to Syria. However, deportations to Afghanistan and Syria have come under fire due to the continued precariousness of the security situation in those countries.
The coalition government is considering compelling people from Syria to return to their home country due to the change in the situation there. Syrian refugees are now allowed to visit their home country for short periods without fear of losing their protected status, according to the Interior Ministry. The aim is to enable Syrians to make the decision to return to Syria voluntarily.
As the situation in Syria continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how many Syrians will choose to return to their homeland, and how the German government will proceed with its plans for deportations and compulsory returns.
- The German government, working towards the deportation of Syrians, is considering compelling migrants from Syria to return to their home country due to the change in the situation there.
- Despite the uncertainties regarding the exact number of Syrians who have returned to Syria from Germany since President Bashar al-Assad was deposed, politics surrounding migration and general-news continue to revolve around the German government's push for Syrians' return to their homeland.
