"People here really cannot live with dignity", said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful during his visit to Harasta - a war-ravaged suburb of Damascus. This sparked a debate in Germany on the topic of the return of Syrian refugees.
The CDU - Wadeful's party - sharply criticized the minister for these words. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, however, said that after the end of the civil war in Syria, he saw no reason for Syrian refugees to be granted asylum in Germany.
He also added: "Those who refuse to return can of course also be deported in the future". This statement also sparked criticism - from coalition partners in the Social Democratic Party, as well as from the Greens and the Left.
The civil war in Syria is over, but the entire country is in ruins. Should the Syrians who fled to Germany be returned in this situation?
How many Syrians are in Germany?
In August 2025, 951,406 Syrians resided in Germany, ARD reported, citing data from the Ministry of the Interior. Syrians are the third largest foreign national group in Germany - after people from Turkey and Ukraine.
The Federal Statistical Office reports a total of 14.1 million foreigners in Germany at the end of 2024, including 975,060 Syrians, 1,544,480 people with Turkish citizenship and 1,334,005 Ukrainians.
How many Syrians have received citizenship?
A growing number of Syrians are also receiving citizenship in Germany. The ARD notes that no other nationality has been more active in this regard - 83,185 Syrians received German citizenship in 2024 - out of a total of 292,020 naturalization procedures. The number of those granted citizenship has been growing steadily in recent years.
The German public media also reported that before obtaining citizenship, Syrians had lived in Germany for an average of 7.4 years.
How many Syrians work and in which fields?
Of the 950,000 Syrians living in Germany, 299,730 are employed, according to the Employment Agency.
In some fields, such as healthcare, Syrians play an extremely important role - 7,042 of the doctors in Germany are Syrians. This is the largest group of foreign doctors in Germany, according to statistics from the Federal Medical Chamber.
A report by the Institute for German Economics from the end of 2024 noted that 80,000 Syrians were employed in professions for which it is particularly difficult to find staff. "Most were employed in skilled work, i.e. in professions that usually require completed vocational education. Accordingly, Syrian workers contribute greatly to overcoming the shortage of personnel in Germany." The institute also points out that the contribution of Syrian skilled workers in Germany is often underestimated.
How many Syrians should leave?
According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, in August there were 920 Syrians in Germany who were obliged to leave or did not have a residence permit. Another 9,780 are also obliged to leave, but have a residence permit.
For the majority of Syrians in Germany, at this stage, it is not a question of forced, but of voluntary return to their homeland. Only those who have committed crimes should be deported, and as quickly as possible. This concerns 55 people, nine of whom have since left voluntarily.
What does deportation depend on?
In principle, people who enjoy protection in Germany can also be deported - but "only if compelling reasons related to national security and public order are presented", for example in the event of a terrorist threat, the ARD points out. No one should be deported to a country where they are threatened with torture, the death penalty or other inhuman treatment.
People who have been granted asylum or another form of protection should have the right to stay. But even if this is not the case and someone is obliged to leave, they are not necessarily threatened with deportation - they can, for example, be granted permission to stay. The reasons for this can be missing personal documents, education or serious illness. Those for whom the authorities do not find a recognized reason to stay will be called upon to leave Germany. If they do not do so, they face deportation. The individual federal states are responsible for this.
How likely are Syrians to leave?
After the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, a survey of Syrian doctors and pharmacists in Germany showed that three-quarters of them could imagine returning to their homeland.
The federal government supports voluntary returns to Syria through various programs. Since the fall of the Assad regime, around 3,000 Syrians have returned to their homeland.