German parties have renewed their demands to allow Syrian refugees to make short visits to Syria in order to assess the possibility of final return, at a time when refugees face the risk of losing their protection status if they travel to Syria and then return to Germany, according to German websites.
An official in the Social Democratic Party, Sebastian Fiedler, said temporary visits could help refugees assess the possibility of returning on their own, noting that the debate in the German parliament is moving towards drafting a legal mechanism that would allow such visits without being considered a final return.
Legal experts warned that a visit to Syria could lead to the loss of protection status under the German asylum law, which raised widespread concerns among Syrian refugees in Germany, noting that the deportation of all Syrian refugees is still far from reality, despite mounting political pressure from some German parties calling for a reassessment of the security situation in Syria.
Partisanal conflicts over Syrian refugees
Earlier in April, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party demanded a halt to the reception of Syrians and the start of a large-scale organized return, and submitted a formal request in parliament calling for a reassessment of the security situation in Syria and for parts of Syria to be considered safe.
The party considered the continued presence of refugees to be a burden on the state and society, supported by a segment of voters who feel that previous immigration policies were lax.
Christian Union leader Friedrich Merz said that about 80% of Syrians should leave Germany by 2029, justifying his position that the reconstruction phase in Syria requires the return of its children.
These statements provoked widespread criticism from the ruling parties and human rights organizations, which considered that Meretz is presenting policies without a legal basis, especially since German and European law prohibits deportation to a country that is not fully classified as safe.
The ruling parties (Social Democrats, Greens and Left) adhere to a clear position rejecting any forced return, considering that any discussion of a "mass return" ignores the reality of the thousands of Syrians who have integrated into the labor market, learned the language and built a new life in Germany and that for them the return is not an administrative decision, but a matter of personal security and a family future.
Significant decline in asylum applications
More than 900,000 Syrians live in Germany, and more than 3,678 Syrian refugees voluntarily returned from Germany last year, according to statistics from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees released in February.
The number of Syrian asylum seekers in Germany has decreased significantly, in light of the German government's assessment that a large number of them no longer have the justifications for protection, and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees can review the continuation of the reasons for protection in the event of a change in the situation in the country of origin, through what is known as the procedures for withdrawing protection, but these measures are not currently generally applied to Syrians, but are limited to specific cases, such as unauthorized travel to Syria or the commission of crimes, according to The German newspaper "Welt am Sonntag".
Meretz says 80% of Syrian refugees must return within 3 years
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced on more than one occasion over the past two months that his goal is to return about 80% of Syrians residing in Germany to their country within the next three years to participate in the "reconstruction of the country", considering that the security situation in Syria is "no longer what it was", and that the end of the conflict requires a review of the reasons for protection and asylum.
Meretz stressed that refugees who travel to Syria on short visits and then return to Germany "cannot be considered persecuted," which could lead to the revocation of their residency under German law.
The German chancellor spoke of a "common desire" between Berlin and Damascus to facilitate the return, following his meeting with President Ahmed al-Sharaa during his visit to Berlin in late March, stressing that the next phase requires direct cooperation between the two governments.
Meretz comments come as German authorities continue to tighten their migration policies, which began in 2024-2025 with about 95% of new asylum applications from Syrians being rejected, as part of a policy aimed at reducing the number of new arrivals, while the German government continues to provide financial incentives for voluntary return of up to €500 as initial support under programs such as REAG/GARP.