Chancellor Scholz says Germany looking to start deportations to Syria

BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced plans to deport criminal offenders to Syria amid an intensifying domestic debate on immigration before the Feb. 23 parliamentary election.

Speaking on public broadcaster ARD late Sunday, Scholz said Berlin is holding talks with the new Syrian government to promote an inclusive political process and stability in the country, which he described as prerequisites for potential deportations.

“Offenders should be returned to their country, and we want to enforce this whenever we have the opportunity,” he said, responding to criticism from opposition parties following several recent attacks in Germany where the perpetrators were rejected asylum seekers or illegal immigrants.

“Will there be a time when, for example, criminals can be returned to Syria? Yes. And I hope that will be soon. And that’s the most urgent concern. Will those who have not gained a foothold here perhaps eventually return to the countries they came from, and in this case Syria? I would say yes, but we have to wait to see if positive development actually materialize” he stated.

Scholz noted that his government has made significant legislative changes recently to streamline deportation procedures for rejected asylum seekers and undocumented migrants. He pointed out that his government successfully conducted its first deportation flight to Afghanistan in August 2024, deporting several violent criminal offenders.

However, he stressed that initiating potential deportations to Syria would depend on achieving an inclusive political process and establishing security and stability in the country.

“We are talking to the Syrian government to make a process possible where various groups in the country would work together. There are many different religious groups, there are many different ethnic groups, and everyone has to find a place in the future Syria, that would be very important,” he stressed.

The domestic debate about immigration and deportations to Syria and Afghanistan has intensified following a deadly knife attack in Aschaffenburg last week that left two people dead, including a child. The attack, carried out by a 28-year-old Afghan national, also left three others injured. Authorities have confirmed that the perpetrator had a documented history of violent incidents and mental health issues. Though his asylum application was rejected in June, poor coordination and communication between state agencies prevented his deportation from being carried out.