Overview
- After a visit to the devastated Damascus suburb of Harasta, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said large-scale returns are not viable and that "hardly anyone can live here with dignity."
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the civil war is over and repatriations can begin, yet his spokesman stressed the chancellor stands behind Wadephul.
- Internal unrest grew in the CDU/CSU, with reports that Wadephul is isolated in the parliamentary group and media speculation naming Jens Spahn, Armin Laschet and David McAllister as potential successors.
- Official data show Syrian arrivals fell 46.5% to about 40,000 in January–September and first-time asylum applications dropped 67.1% to roughly 19,200, while only 920 Syrians are immediately deportable and 9,780 hold temporary tolerated status.
- The UN human rights office warns the security situation in Syria remains unstable, as CDU faction leader Jens Spahn urges deportations of criminals and "Gefährder" first with the prospect of broader returns, including by force.