Germany aims to encourage Syrian refugees to return home voluntarily, foreign minister says

BERLIN

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Tuesday his government wants to facilitate the conditions for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their home country.

"Syrians should be encouraged to return voluntarily and enabled to do so, so they can rebuild their country," Wadephul told a press conference in Berlin, saying there was no disagreement between him and Chancellor Friedrich Merz on this.

Wadephul said the government is currently in talks with Syrian authorities to deport those who have committed crimes or are deemed a threat to public safety. At the same time, he said they are working to support Syria's economic recovery to enable Syrian refugees to return.

"We are going to convene the German-Syrian Business Council. This means my Syrian counterpart will be coming here. We will both lead it, and we will work concretely to ensure that this country has a chance to move forward and that we rebuild the neighborhoods. This will take some time," he said.

Wadephul said if voluntary returns do not occur, expulsions may be possible for those without legal status, employment, or a residence permit in Germany.

"Germany has been very hospitable to many Syrians and has a legitimate interest in expecting those who found refuge here—supported by German taxpayers—to be prepared to return home if conditions allow and if they don't have employment and accommodation here," Wadephul said.

"That's perfectly normal. We would like to facilitate this, and if it doesn't happen voluntarily, then there is also the possibility of the state initiating it—that's completely clear and beyond question," he added.

Over the weekend, the conservative politician sparked a major dispute within his party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), after expressing doubts about repatriating Syrians due to conditions in their homeland.

During his visit to Harasta, a suburb of Damascus, Wadephul expressed shock at the level of destruction from the Syrian civil war. He said returning Syrians was only possible to a very limited extent at present because much of the country's infrastructure has been destroyed.

Amid harsh criticism from CDU politicians, Merz said on Monday that the government is working with Syrian authorities to support economic recovery, reconstruction, and the return of Syrian refugees to their home country.

"The civil war in Syria is over. There are no longer any grounds for asylum in Germany, and therefore we can begin repatriations," Merz said. He added that those who refuse to return can be expelled in the near future.

Germany currently hosts more than 700,000 Syrian refugees, most of whom have temporary residence permits. The total Syrian-background population—including those with permanent residence and dual citizens—reaches nearly 1.3 million, according to official figures.