Overview

• Federal data show 1,867 departures to Syria with national return funding by the end of August, up from 804 by late May, with additional exits possible via state programs or without aid.
• Roughly 955,000 Syrian nationals were registered in Germany at the end of July, while only 1,562 departures to Syria were formally recorded from January to May and 83,150 former Syrians were naturalised in 2024.
• Despite limited returns, 17,650 Syrians applied for asylum from January through August as routine decisions for most Syrian cases remain paused, producing a BAMF backlog of 53,187 pending procedures.
• Officials note uneven security and severe infrastructure damage in parts of Syria, including destroyed housing and risks from unexploded ordnance, which complicate family decisions to go back.
• CDU lawmakers Marc Henrichmann and Alexander Throm call for stronger incentives and cooperation on security to raise voluntary returns; deportations to Syria have not occurred since 2012, though the Interior Ministry says it is working to enable returns and is currently deciding only cases involving criminals or security risks.