Overview
- CDU interior-policy spokesman Alexander Throm renewed calls to begin returns of Syrians in Germany, starting with criminals and people deemed poorly integrated, while backing permanent status for those who are self-sufficient and well integrated.
- SPD figures urge case-by-case assessments tied to safety on the ground, and the Greens seek more flexible residency rules, as Diakonie proposes exploratory visits to Syria without loss of protection status.
- Humanitarian groups Brot für die Welt and Diakonie cite armed militias, devastated infrastructure and a dire economy, warning against declaring Syria safe for deportations.
- UN figures reported about 7 million people still internally displaced, roughly 16 million needing aid and around 1 million returns since the upheaval, with aid plans for 2025 described as severely underfunded.
- Context in Syria remains mixed: transition leader Ahmed al-Scharaa has gained international standing, yet reconstruction is slow, minority protection is contested and security incidents persist, even as large diaspora gatherings in Germany, including an event in Essen of up to 10,000 people, showed both enthusiasm and isolated violence.