Name: Many Syrians in Germany reluctant to return to home country
Uploaded: 2025-11-17T19:29:54.376Z
Duration: 2 min 55 s
Description: A decade ago, Germany opened its borders to those fleeing the Syrian war. Now, Chancellor Merz says Syria is safe enough for people to return to. But many are hesitant to leave the country they have come to call home.

A decade ago, Germany opened its borders to those fleeing the Syrian war. Now, Chancellor Merz says Syria is safe enough for people to return to. But many are hesitant to leave the country they have come to call home.

Damascus

Over the past decade, approximately one million Syrians have settled in Germany, with the vast majority holding legal status that allows them to stay. Only a small fraction are subject to deportation, mainly due to security concerns or failed asylum claims, while most face the question of voluntary return, which remains unappealing due to ongoing difficulties in Syria.

Germany's conservative-led government continues to prioritize migration policy, acknowledging the need for Syrian workers in the labor market. Proposals include separating asylum and labor market integration through a new federal agency, as recent data indicates a decline in the number of Syrians arriving and an increase in those leaving the country.

Many Syrians in Germany reluctant to return to home country

Over the past decade, many Syrians have made Berlin and Germany their home. And the overwhelming majority has achieved a legal status that grants them a right to stay. Of the roughly one million Syrians that currently live here, only a very small number could actually be deported. 46 who are classified as security threats, suspected of planning serious crimes. 920 who are required to leave after their asylum claims were rejected. And 9,780 who are also required to leave but cannot be deported due to severe illness or missing travel documents. So for the vast majority of Syrians, the issue is voluntary return. That, however, seems to be unappealing to many. Right now, returning to Syria is difficult. But in the future, we all want to return to our cities. If you're a troublemaker and your record is not clean, they have the right to send you back. But if you come here to work and help your family, that's unfair, very unfair. Right now, I'm doing an apprenticeship and I want to continue my life in Germany. For Germany's conservative-led government, the issue remains high on the agenda. Since taking office in May, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has promised to curb irregular migration. Some in his CDU party believe this is the key to winning back supporters who have turned to the far-right AfD, which has gained ground in the polls. At the same time, Merz knows that many of the Syrians are desperately needed in Germany. Of all the Syrians of working age, almost half are currently employed. And that rate is steadily increasing. For those who arrived in Germany in 2015, it stood at over 60 percent after seven years of residence. Many are filling jobs Germany urgently needs skilled workers for. All these Syrians, the government says, should be able to stay, no matter what legal status they currently have. I'm very unhappy that there are still people who we could actually integrate into the labour market or who are already integrated but are still stuck in the asylum procedure. Our proposal is to improve this in the future by creating a completely separate process for asylum and labour market integration. That's why we're planning to set up a new federal agency called the Work and Stay Agency. And the idea is exactly what the name implies. New data, however, shows since the end of the civil war, more and more Syrians are leaving Germany and far fewer are coming in. If that trend continues, the debate about sending Syrians back could soon lose momentum.

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