German authorities have opened cases for over 2,000 refugees, including hundreds of Syrians, as part of a process to revoke their residency permits after it was revealed they had visited their home countries in recent months. The government considers these visits as evidence that the refugees no longer need protection.
اضافة اعلان
According to the current rules in Germany, a refugee's protection status is revoked if they travel to their home country, with exceptions only for "compelling humanitarian reasons," such as the serious illness or death of a family member. Additionally, refugees must inform immigration authorities about their travel in advance.
After a stabbing attack by a Syrian refugee in the city of Solingen last year, which resulted in the deaths of three people, the previous German government, under a security package, agreed that individuals granted asylum would lose their protection status if they traveled to their home countries.
More Than 700 Syrian Refugees Visited Their Home Country
In response to an inquiry from the German newspaper "Welt," the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) confirmed on Thursday that it had opened 2,157 procedures to review the protection status of refugees who traveled to their home countries between November 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.
Among the refugees who visited their home countries during this period, Iraq topped the list with 762 cases, followed by Syria with 734 cases, Afghanistan (240), Iran (115), and Turkey (31), according to a spokesperson from BAMF.
The spokesperson explained that as soon as the office learns of a refugee traveling to their home country, they begin a "review case" to document the situation. However, the actual processing of these cases for Syria is currently suspended, with a temporary delay in the procedures for Syria. In general, protection may be reviewed and revoked for various reasons, such as improvements in security conditions in the country of origin or the commission of serious crimes by the refugee.
Exceptional Plans for Syrians Under Strict Conditions
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the German Ministry of the Interior in Berlin announced that the government intends to temporarily allow Syrian refugees to visit their homeland without losing their protection status in Germany, provided that these visits meet "strict conditions" and serve as "preparations for permanent return" to Syria.
The Ministry of the Interior, which is still led by the Social Democratic Party, aims to give Syrians the opportunity to make a decision about voluntary return. The spokesperson clarified that "to do so, individuals must be able to gain insight into the situation in their home country, for example, to see if their homes are still standing or if their relatives are still alive."
The spokesperson emphasized that these trips must be registered with the relevant foreign authorities in advance and should be "exclusively for the purpose of preparing for voluntary return."
The plan is still under coordination with the federal states in Germany, and a start date for its implementation has not yet been determined.
Government Coalition Partner Rejects the Plan
However, the Christian Social Union (CSU), which is expected to take over the Ministry of the Interior in the new coalition government next month, strongly criticized these plans. Bavaria's Minister of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann, announced his opposition to "allowing holiday trips disguised as exploratory visits."
In a letter to the current Federal Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser (from the Social Democratic Party), Herrmann (from the Christian Social Union) expressed concerns about "an uncontrollable movement of travel between Syria and Germany," arguing that the plans are incompatible with federal laws that stipulate the revocation of protection status if a refugee returns to their home country.
He called for a joint European solution and rejected what he called "unilateral national actions." He also pointed out that "the issue of granting social benefits during such trips has not been resolved, and there is a risk of creating the impression that the state is funding these trips."
The Christian Social Union is set to take over the Ministry of the Interior in the upcoming German government, based on the coalition agreement between the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union and the Social Democratic Party. The new coalition seeks to tighten asylum policies, including increasing deportations to Syria, starting with criminals and individuals categorized as security threats.
How Many Syrians Are Returning Voluntarily?
Meanwhile, the German Ministry of the Interior reported that 464 Syrian refugees have voluntarily returned to their home country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, with financial support from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Since 2017, federal states have announced programs to support voluntary returns to Syria, and in 2024, 87 Syrians returned through this program, with 31 so far in 2025, according to the RND news network.
According to the Federal Office, the financial support covers travel expenses, financial assistance to start anew, and medical costs if needed. Each family can receive up to 4,000 euros in initial assistance. This financial support is part of the office's strategy to reduce the number of Syrian refugees in Germany.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, many Syrian refugees have been waiting for the German government's promises to allow them to visit their home country without losing their asylum status. Many aspire to return to Syria for a short period to check on their families or assess the situation in their homeland.
