Khaberni - On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for the repatriation of Syrian refugees to their homeland, and for their deportation if necessary, asserting that "the civil war in Syria has ended".
His Foreign Minister Johann Vadevol appeared more cautious during his visit to Damascus on Thursday, noting that the return of Syrians to their homeland is "only very limitedly possible; because a large part of the infrastructure in the country is destroyed" after 13 years of war.
His reservations were met with criticism by a large number of members of the conservative party to which both he and Merz belong, as reported by "Agence France-Presse".
Merz stated during his visit to Husum in northern Germany: "There is no longer any reason to seek asylum in Germany", considering that it is possible to begin the repatriation of Syrians to their country.
He mentioned that he "invited the Syrian transitional president, Ahmad al-Shar’, to Germany to discuss how to resolve this issue together".
The German Chancellor explained that "this country now needs all its forces, especially those of the Syrians, to rebuild it. For this reason, many people will voluntarily return to their homeland."
He added: "Those who refuse to return to their homeland can certainly be deported by us".
At the beginning of July (July), the German Ministry of the Interior announced that it seeks to expel Syrians who have committed misdemeanors and crimes.
About one million Syrians live in Germany, most of whom arrived during the major migration wave between 2015 and 2016.
However, after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad's regime in December (December) 2024, several European countries including Germany announced the freezing of asylum procedures.
