Overview
- Government data, released Thursday, show only 5.3% of decided Syrian cases in 2025 received protection, which includes refugee status, subsidiary protection, or a deportation ban.
- The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) froze Syrian decisions in December 2024 and later restarted on a narrow set of files such as criminals, terror suspects, and young single Sunni Arab men.
- Outcomes vary by group, with Yazidis receiving protection in 57.1% of cases, Christians about 17%, Alawites 20%, and Druze 9.1% in 2025.
- Early 2026 shows a modest rise, with a 10.4% protection rate for January and February and a higher 20.5% rate for Kurds.
- The figures arrive as Chancellor Friedrich Merz promotes large-scale returns after his March meeting with Syria’s transitional leader, drawing protests from Syrians who report ongoing risk back home.