Germany Moves to Repatriate More Syrians

Germany is preparing to significantly expand the withdrawal of protection status from Syrian migrants, potentially leaving hundreds of thousands required to leave Germany.

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is preparing a directive for the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) that would accelerate reviews of Syrians’ protection status, according to NZZ.

The move comes nearly two years after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the end of the Syrian civil war. The new policy is expected to take effect following Sunday’s state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and could significantly increase the number of Syrians required to leave Germany.

Nearly half a million Syrians still hold protection status in Germany. Relatively few have returned voluntarily since Assad’s fall, and the government is seeking to encourage more Syrians to return.

BAMF has already stepped up reviews. In the first half of 2026, 23.2% of 8,320 cases examined resulted in protection status being withdrawn or revoked, up sharply from previous years.

Each case must nevertheless be assessed individually. Syrians who no longer qualify for protection but are well integrated into the labor market may have other routes to legal residence.

The CDU/CSU has welcomed the tougher approach, arguing that humanitarian protection should end when the circumstances that originally justified it no longer exist.

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