In the short term, Merz prioritizes the deportation of those who have committed crimes.
On Monday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany will return 80% of more than 900,000 Syrians to their country over the next three years, starting primarily with those who do not have residence permits or who have committed crimes.
His remarks came after meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa, who is visiting Germany for the first time since the fall of Bashar Assad’s government at the end of 2024.
Merz asked al Sharaa to readmit Syrians who no longer have a valid residence permit in Germany, whom he described as a “small group that causes us problems.” He also said that these are Syrians who have committed crimes and whom “we want to repatriate as a priority.”
Over the next three years, about 80% of Syrians living in Germany should return to their country of origin, a goal that al Sharaa shares, according to Merz.
“We have an interest in those who live with us and want to stay and are well integrated… being able to remain in Germany, but many of those who are here are needed in their country,” Merz said.
“That is why I believe this is the right time to also talk about these people. And I can only reiterate, from my point of view, my gratitude to the German population, which in recent years has been willing to take in this large number of refugees,” he added.
“But the civil war has ended and now there is, in principle, the prospect of returning to the country of origin, Syria, and we want to make this possible together,” the German chancellor pointed out.
Al Sharaa said the war has ended but “the battle of reconstruction has just begun,” adding that “the destruction in Syria is very great as infrastructure, cities and towns are devastated.”
“Entire sectors have been destroyed. More than 60 years of misguided policies and failures have ruined them. Now we want to create a favorable environment for investments that generate job opportunities, so that Syrian refugees can return to Syria. We want cooperation with German companies,” he said.
His idea is for Germany to increase its investments in Syria and for the Arab country to be able to “make use of Syrians who are in Germany so that… they work in Syria for German companies.”
“Together with our friends in the German government, we want to create a kind of cycle for Syrians who are here, so that they can return to Syria, also contribute to the reconstruction of the country, but that those who want to stay here (in Germany), of course, can also continue working here,” he said.
As of Oct. 31, 2025, about 944,060 Syrians were residing in Germany. They are part of a group of 1.3 million Syrians who fled the civil war and were welcomed by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Approximately 663,182 Syrians have residence permits and 10,281 are required to leave the country, although 9,412 of them are tolerated. Last year, 6,502 Syrians voluntarily returned to their country of origin, with or without the German government’s financial assistance program.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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