“Mama, are we going back to Syria now?”
That’s the question children are starting to ask at home, said lawyer Nahla Osman, as the societal debate about whether Syrian refugees should now return after nearly 14 years of civil war has become a topic of discussion in schools and kindergartens. The Hesse-based lawyer heads the board of the German Syrian Aid Association, an umbrella group representing many Syrian aid organizations in Europe.
“Unfortunately, we have heard that children are being told: ‘You are Syrian, go back.’ Many children are reluctant to even speak Arabic now. But on the other side, we also have many neighbors, initiatives and associations saying ‘You are a part of Germany, we support you’,” Osman said this week in an online press conference hosted by Mediendienst Integration, a Berlin-based research platform for journalists focusing on migration, integration and asylum.
Many Syrians living in Germany want to stay
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, many German politicians have been calling for Syrians to leave Germany and rebuild their country of origin. Earlier this month, Jens Spahn, the parliamentary group leader of the governing conservative Union (Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union, CDU/CSU) in the Bundestag, drew parallels with Germany’s rebuilding effort following World War II. Syrian refugees had a responsibility and a “patriotic duty” to help restore their country, Spahn said.
However, Syrians living in Germany face a difficult choice: if they decide to go back to Syria to evaluate the situation and weigh their options, they risk losing their protected status in Germany. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has said Germany doesn’t want to authorize any further exploratory trips, saying people can inform themselves about life there using their smartphones.
“Can you go back with the children? Can you go back if you have health issues? You can’t decide these things in a phone call with relatives,” said Osman, who has recently been to Syria several times. “We must focus on the long term and voluntary returns.”
About a million people from Syria live in Germany
According to Mediendienst Integration, of about 948,000 Syrian citizens currently living in Germany, some 667,000 have temporary residence permits. Of that group, about 10,700 Syrians do not have a valid residence status, and are therefore legally required to leave the country — just over 1% of the total, according to German government figures. But most in that group cannot be deported due to severe illness or missing travel documents.
Since January, Syrians have been able to return to their home country under a support program. The result: About 2,900 people have so far taken up the offer — which includes travel costs and initial financial assistance.
“Many Syrians have invested a lot of time and resources here over the past 10 years to build a new life for themselves in Germany. Returning is another upheaval in their lives,” said Nora Ragab, a migration researcher in Berlin. “In Syria, you don’t just pick up where you left off — your house might not be there anymore, the economic situation is very difficult and there is still violence in various places. This whole discussion disregards the work many people did to come here and become a part of society.”
Returning to Syria — between loss and hope
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Ragab has studied the development of Syrian civil society following the fall of dictator Bashar Assad, and has spoken with Syrians about the possibility of returning. Her conclusion: Helping to rebuild the country does not necessarily require moving back permanently. Temporary support also counts, for example, such as doctors who travel to Syria to perform surgeries and help set up the health system.
Another aspect which is heard far too seldomly in the debate, said Ragab, is the makeup of the Syrian population in Germany. “More than a third are children and youth under the age of 18. So there is a generation which has been completely integrated into German society,” she said.
German citizenship for Syrian refugees in question
Karoline Popp, a researcher at the Berlin-based Expert Council on Integration and Migration, has also closely followed the debate over Syrians in Germany.
“The political climate and the rhetoric are felt by the Syrian community. It is currently causing a lot of uncertainty. This feeling, that no matter how hard you work, you will never fully belong, even with a German passport,” said Popp, one of the authors of a recent study on the topic, “Diaspora and more. Civil society engagement of Afghan and Syrian communities in Germany.”
“The risk is very high of offending the very people who are engaged in society and have a strong desire to participate.”
How Syrian doctors feel about Germany’s migration debate
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Germany’s government has made it harder to obtain citizenship. The so-called fast-track naturalization, which allowed especially well-integrated foreigners to become naturalized after only three years, introduced by the previous center-left government, has been scrapped. Conservative politicians also want to rescind dual citizenship from people who have committed crimes, and dual citizenship itself should again become an exception.
Popp, however, is calling for a rethink. She said a secure residency status or dual citizenship could be an important element in enabling the exiled population to participate in the rapidly changing country.
“There is a direct link between citizenship and return,” said Popp, pointing out that this connection is not being recognized by policymakers.
This article was originally written in German.
Irregular migration ‘a trigger point for radical parties’
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
While you’re here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
