German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the government wants to reach an agreement with Syria this year to deport asylum seekers whose applications were rejected.
"We want to reach an agreement with Syria this year and initially deport criminals, followed later by those without legal residence," Dobrindt told the Rheinische Post newspaper in remarks published on Saturday.
"It is important to distinguish between people who are well integrated and working, and those without asylum rights who rely on social benefits," he said.
Talks are expected to begin "shortly," the minister added. He said he had instructed the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to partially resume suspended asylum procedures for Syrians, paving the way for deportations. Germany has not deported anyone to Syria since 2012.
The number of Syrian refugees voluntarily returning to their homeland after the fall of long-time leader Bashar al-Assad in December last year is slowly rising, though still at a low level. According to the Interior Ministry, 1,867 people had returned to Syria with government support by the end of August.
At the end of July, according to the Central Register of Foreigners (AZR), just under 955,000 Syrian nationals were living in Germany. Last year, around 83,150 Syrians became German citizens, Interior Ministry data showed. Figures for 2025 are not yet available.
Dobrindt also wants a more structured approach to deportations to Afghanistan. "My goal is to deport regularly and systematically. At present, this is only possible with support from the emirate of Qatar," he told the newspaper.
"In the future, I would like this to be organized without intermediaries, which requires direct talks with the authorities in Kabul," he said, describing the discussions as "technical."
Germany has no diplomatic ties with the Taliban, who returned to power in August 2021 and remain internationally isolated over human and women's rights abuses. Since then, only two deportation flights from Germany to Afghanistan have taken place with Qatar's help, both involving convicted criminals.
- Germany
- Deportation
- Syria
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
