Many of the 45,000 Syrian refugees in Denmark are facing a fateful choice: whether to stay in Denmark or return to their homeland. Ahmed is one of them - he opened a small Syrian restaurant in the Danish city of Aarhus. And he has not yet decided what to do - whether to stay or return to Syria.
"After the fall of the Assad regime, I felt better - as if I were Syrian again. I experienced emotional and moral relief. The sad thing is that we have been working hard in Denmark for ten years, but we still haven't got all the necessary documents," Ahmed told DW.
"If you don't feel safe, money is nothing"
The Danish government is offering Syrians and other refugees up to 27,000 euros if they voluntarily return to their homeland - much more than is offered in Germany, for example. Overall, the idea is well received, but few are taking advantage of the offer: since the beginning of this year, only 120 people have decided to accept the offer.
Monzer, who is studying to be a nurse, assures that the situation in Syria remains unstable: "The situation is changing daily. When I talk to my relatives on the phone, they assure me that it is not good to return."
That is also the opinion of Yousef Bakdash, a Syrian refugee who helps other refugees for free. During the civil war in Syria, he was seriously injured in an attack by Assad's troops and suffered permanent disabilities. After that, he decided to leave the country.
"My children were born here. They don't even know Syria. When I asked them what they thought about the possibility of returning, my daughter didn't say anything - she just looked at the prosthesis on my leg. If you don't feel safe, money means nothing,", Yousef notes.
Denmark's big goal: zero refugees
Denmark has a very restrictive policy in the field of migration and integration. The country's center-left government has recently set a new goal: zero refugee admissions.
"The decision was made by the government led by the Social Democrats. But many of the measures look like they are part of a conservative or right-wing government. Denmark is something of a pioneer in the migration and asylum policy that we see today in many parts of Europe," migration expert Helena Hahn told DW.
The Scandinavian country attracted international attention back in 2019 when it began revoking the residence permits of Syrian refugees. At that time, however, legal and political obstacles prevented mass deportations. Now the Danish authorities want to strengthen their contacts with the new rulers in Syria.
What could be the next steps
"The change of power in Syria has opened up new opportunities. That is why we have lifted some sanctions, and our goal is to create stable conditions in Syria so that many of the Syrians who came to Europe in 2015 can return. However, we have not yet taken any concrete decisions," said Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
There are concerns that the return bonus offer could be followed by deportations, and people who have committed a crime could be the first to be affected.
For now, Youssef feels safe. He has applied to travel to Syria and is collecting donations for people in need of prosthetic limbs: "I want to send them to Syria to those who need them. And the need there is very great." In this way, Youssef Bakdash hopes to help other compatriots forever scarred by the civil war.
Author: Rose Patrice Birhard