Syrians no longer have grounds to seek asylum in Germany now that Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell nearly a year ago, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said.
During the 14-year-long civil war, Germany took in more refugees than any other European country, but the situation has changed with the arrival of interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The German leader said he expects the majority of Syrians who sought refuge in Germany to voluntarily return to their homeland.
“There are now no longer any grounds for asylum in Germany, and therefore we can also begin with repatriations,” the chancellor said, adding that those who refuse could face deportation.
However, his remarks contradict those of Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who, during a visit to Damascus last week, expressed doubts about the willingness of Syrians to return home.
The majority of Syrians living in Germany currently hold temporary residence status, while others were born in the country and have German citizenship.
