Merz urges large-scale Syrian returns from Germany to aid reconstruction

Berlin meeting

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Berlin and suggested that many Syrians who sought refuge in Germany could return over the next few years to help rebuild their homeland. Merz said Germany’s immediate priority is to repatriate Syrians who have committed crimes and stressed that reducing migration and returning those not entitled to stay is a key aim of his government. He also referenced a target reportedly expressed by al-Sharaa that about 80% of Syrians in Germany might eventually return — a figure the Syrian leader did not confirm.

Al-Sharaa pushed back against mass deportation rhetoric by underscoring the contributions of Syrians in Germany, noting roughly 6,000 doctors and more than a quarter-million taxpayers among the community. He proposed a "circular immigration" model to allow skilled Syrians to aid reconstruction without forfeiting lives they built abroad and attended a German-Syrian economic roundtable seeking support for Syria’s post-war recovery after the civil war that ended with the ouster of Bashar Assad in December 2024. Merz pledged German support for Syria’s revival and framed success as important amid wider regional instability, including the war in Iran. as reported by AP News

This story has also been reported by: Reuters, Deutsche Welle, SANA