Stopping the idea of "exploratory trips" to Syria
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has ordered the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) to re-examine the status of some Syrian refugees and withdraw their protection status when necessary. The decision focuses on Syrians accused of committing serious crimes or who are classified as 'dangerous' in terms of security, meaning individuals suspected of potentially committing politically motivated crimes or even terrorist attacks.
A spokesperson for the ministry clarified that the law allows for the withdrawal of protection status in cases of serious crimes. This year, 10,064 cases of protection status reviews for Syrian refugees have been processed, and protection was withdrawn in only 97 of them, according to data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
It is noted that by the end of December 2024, about 975,000 Syrian citizens were living in Germany, and more than 83,000 of them obtained German citizenship last year. Meanwhile, the number of returnees to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December remains low, with only a few hundred returning since the beginning of the year with the support of the German government.
Earlier, the previous German government discussed the possibility of allowing Syrians to travel to their country for short periods without affecting their legal status as refugees, but this plan was not implemented and the current government abandoned it after a thorough review. A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior confirmed that the decision not to allow short trips to Syria without legal impact came after a comprehensive study.
According to the current laws, traveling to the country of origin is considered evidence of the absence of grounds for protection, except in exceptional cases such as the presence of a serious illness in a family member. If the federal authority becomes aware of such trips, it is legally obligated to examine whether the protection status should be revoked.