Overview
- After visiting the devastated Damascus suburb of Harasta, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said many Syrians cannot return in the short term because people there cannot live in dignity.
- The Interior Ministry said it is working on a bilateral agreement to enable removals to Syria and aims to start with deportations of serious offenders this year, in line with the coalition pact.
- Senior CDU figures such as Günter Krings and Sven Schulze criticized Wadephul, arguing the country’s destruction is not an argument against return and that going back is now possible and reasonable for most Syrians.
- CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann and government spokesman Stefan Kornelius described the dispute as a "sham conflict," emphasizing that expulsions of serious criminals will proceed alongside efforts to stabilize Syria.
- SPD and Greens voiced support for Wadephul’s assessment that large-scale returns remain limited for now, and the Interior Ministry recently confirmed that Syrian refugees risk their protection status if they make "exploratory trips" home.