Overview
- A Monday agreement announced in Berlin between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa seeks to repatriate about 80% of Syrians in Germany within three years.
- Merz said returns would prioritize people without valid residence permits and a small group convicted of crimes, while those well integrated who wish to stay could remain.
- Al Sharaa urged German investors to fund projects in Syria to create jobs for returnees, tying economic rebuilding to the plan for large-scale repatriation.
- Germany counts about 1.3 million people of Syrian origin, including roughly 350,000 under subsidiary protection that limits expulsions, and only around 6,500 have used the federal voluntary return program so far.
- The visit drew rival rallies in Berlin, with Kurdish groups alleging rights abuses and disappearances in Rojava, while German health leaders warned that losing about 6,000 Syrian doctors and 10,000 nurses could strain hospitals and eldercare.