Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) met with controversial Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadi terrorist, in Berlin on Monday afternoon.
Among the topics discussed, one of the most prominent was the fact that Merz wants 80 percent of the Syrians currently living in Germany to return home.
“In the longer perspective of the next three years, it is the wish of President al-Sharaa that around 80 percent of the Syrians in Germany should go back into their homeland,” said Merz, before adding: “We need a reliable repatriation option, cooperation with Syria.”
Merz said he supported that, saying many of them “are needed at home.”
The chancellor also made clear that protection statuses would be reassessed.
“Those who have no claim will leave Germany again,” he said — particularly those who “abuse our hospitality.” He balanced this with an acknowledgment that “we are pleased about the many Syrian skilled workers who have integrated.”
Merz reflected on how, roughly a year ago, the dictatorship in Syria “was shaken off,” and reaffirmed that Germany had always stood by the Syrian people, despite the new government being accused of a number of atrocities against minorities, including Christians and Druze.
Merz described reconstruction as an “enormous effort,” stressing that stability and economic performance would be essential for it to succeed. A German delegation is set to travel to Syria “in a few days” to advance cooperation on that front.
The Syrian head of state opened by expressing his “deep gratitude” to Germany, declaring that “Syria is an important country for Europe” and that the country could “come back stronger,” adding: “We want to rebuild our country.”
He noted that 1.3 million Syrians currently live in Germany, including 6,000 doctors who could make a significant contribution to Syria’s recovering economy.
As Remix News has reported in the past, Syria lost many of its doctors due to the war, with many of them ending up in Germany and other countries in the West. However, many of them have expressed little interest in returning home.
Al-Sharaa outlined a vision for a “cycle” allowing Syrians to return home, while those who wish to remain in Germany would be able to work there. He described the new Syria as a constitutional state “for all Syrians — without exception,” emphasizing that the country is “very diverse” and committed to deepening the “rule of law,” pledging to work with Germany “in great transparency.”
Despite what al-Sharaa said and what Merz may desire, there is little evidence that most Syrians have any incentive or motivation to return home.
For one, many of them have already become German citizens, and more are being naturalized each month. Even if the German government wanted to return them, they would have no legal mechanism for doing so unless the entire constitution were rewritten. There have been some extremely isolated instances where German authorities have attempted to strip citizenship, but only for extreme violations of German law, such as terrorism offenses.
Syrians also have little financial basis to return to a war-torn country — one that remains unstable. In Germany, they have access to free healthcare, housing, social welfare, and a host of other benefits not available in Syria. However, German conservatives have been pushing for a return of hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have not yet obtained citizenship, arguing that, overall, the migrant group has been a net drain on welfare and society. Furthermore, since the fall of Assad, the basis for their asylum is generally no longer present.
Syrian migrants have been responsible for an enormous amount of crime in Germany since their arrival, including 135,000 Syrian crimes against Germans since 2015.
Merz announced that Germany would help “stabilise Syria” with €200 million directed toward expanding water supplies, hospitals and vocational schools, assuring al-Sharaa: “You can count on Germany’s support.”
Merz closed with a direct appeal to his Syrian counterpart: “Create a space for everyone in the new Syria!” He tied future joint projects to the rule of law taking hold in Syria, expressing confidence that this goal was within reach.