German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has pressed for an accelerated return of Syrian refugees during Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa's inaugural visit to Berlin. At a joint press conference at the Chancellery on Monday, Merz stated that he and Sharaa had agreed that eight out of 10 Syrians in Germany should go back "over the next three years". "We are working together to ensure that Syrian men and women from Germany can return to their homeland," Merz said.
The Chancellor noted that conditions in Syria have "fundamentally improved" more than a year after the overthrow of ruler Bashar al-Assad and the end of the civil war. "Protection needs must therefore be reassessed," Merz stated. The priority would initially be the return of Syrian nationals who have committed crimes and do not have valid residence permits.
Merz said the majority of Syrian refugees who fled to Germany want to return home: "They want to rebuild their homeland." Germany will support Syria in its economic reconstruction.
Al-Sharaa also fundamentally supported the return of refugees. "The war is of course over, but the battle of reconstruction has only just begun," said the former jihadist leader. A kind of "cycle" should be established so that Syrians from Germany can return to their homeland and rebuild the country. However, the transitional President also said that Syrians who wish to remain in Germany should continue to be able to work here.
During the Syrian civil war (2011 to 2024), around one million people from Syria sought refuge in Germany, with most arriving in 2015 and 2016. The return of Syrian refugees to their destroyed and still largely unsafe homeland remains controversial.
On Monday, Merz outlined German assistance for economic reconstruction in Syria, which is intended to create the conditions for the return of refugees. To this end, the establishment of a "joint taskforce" has been agreed upon, with a delegation of German ministry representatives set to travel to Syria in the coming days.
Merz also appealed to al-Sharaa to ensure the protection of minorities in Syria. "Create space in the new Syria for all Syrian men and women, regardless of their religion, ethnic affiliation, and gender. Violence against minorities and dissidents must be a thing of the past." Merz emphasized that future joint projects would also depend on the rule of law in Syria.
The government in Damascus led by al-Sharaa is accused of failing to protect minorities in the country from violence or even inciting and participating in atrocities against minorities. Among those affected are Alawites and Druze. The Syrian leadership has also ended the de facto autonomy of the Kurds in the north of the country. Al-Sharaa pledged to work for the protection of minorities. The rights of all should be preserved, he said. "We want to return to a good form of coexistence."
Islamist militias led by al-Sharaa overthrew al-Assad at the end of 2024 and seized power in Syria. The 43-year-old transitional President formerly commanded the Al-Nusra Front, once allied with the terrorist network Al-Qaeda, as well as its successor militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Al-Sharaa made his inaugural visit to Berlin on Monday, accompanied by protests, after it had originally been planned for January. He was first received by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and then attended a German-Syrian economic forum, where the German government and German companies offered Syria support for reconstruction.
The agenda also included a meeting with Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) on the topic of returns. The Greens and the refugee aid organization Pro Asyl criticized the federal government's push for the return of Syrian refugees.
Greens leader Franziska Brantner stated that "above-average numbers" of Syrians work in "systemically important professions" in Germany. Pro Asyl director Karl Kopp warned of a "cynical and completely unrealistic deportation debate" in light of the still difficult situation in Syria.
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