Overview
- Berlin has suspended expulsions to Syria and paused decisions on pending asylum claims as it reassesses security conditions.
- The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has resumed hearings for Syrian applicants to address a backlog of over 52,000 pending cases.
- The REAG/GARP program has facilitated voluntary returns since January by covering travel, financial, and medical support.
- In Naumburg, authorities removed a crying 10-year-old from her sports lesson for deportation, prompting opposition condemnation and defenses from CDU officials.
- Resistance on a Frankfurt-bound flight to Bulgaria led the pilot to refuse transport, and since May 20 the family has been missing, triggering an official search.