Merz's 80% Syrian return remark ignites political and practical backlash

Chancellor Friedrich Merz caused controversy after telling journalists in Berlin that “80% of the Syrians currently in Germany should return to their homeland” over the next three years — a remark he said echoed the wish of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa later denied making that demand, turning the exchange into a potential diplomatic spat. The comment drew immediate criticism from opposition parties and members of Merz’s own coalition, with critics calling the figure unrealistic, insensitive to security and integration realities, and politically opportunistic.

Practical and legal obstacles underscore the backlash: Germany hosts roughly 1.2 million people of Syrian origin (more than 900,000 counted as refugees), many with subsidiary protection or German citizenship, and deportations require individual reassessments and appeals amid a court backlog of about 180,000 asylum cases. Experts say returning such a large share in three years is unfeasible — one calculation put the needed rate at about 730 removals per day — and warn the pledge could harm Germany’s labor needs (notably in medicine and nursing) and fuel gains for the far-right AfD ahead of the next election. A voluntary return program offering flight costs and small startup grants saw only 3,678 participants in 2025, highlighting the limited appetite for repatriation. as reported by Deutsche Welle

This story has also been reported by: The Syrian Observer