Overview
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he has invited Ahmed al-Sharaa to discuss returning Syrians with criminal records, pledging to implement removals in a concrete way.
- Merz asserted the Syrian civil war is over and said Syrians no longer have grounds for asylum in Germany, signaling the start of repatriations with possible deportations for those who refuse.
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul assessed forced returns as only possible to a very limited extent after a Damascus visit, then emphasized he is working toward the shared goal of increasing deportations.
- Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is negotiating with Syrian authorities, while officials stress that removals require a receiving state's acceptance and often stall over identity disputes and court challenges.
- Germany counts roughly 800 specialized detention places versus about 6,000 detainees in 2024, prompting plans to expand capacity as authorities expect around 15,000 voluntary returns and about 1,700 deportations in 2025.