A German court paves the way for the deportation of Syrians after years of prohibition
In a landmark decision, the Düsseldorf Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf) ruled that the deportation of Syrians to their home country has become possible again, marking the first ruling of its kind in Germany in years. The court concluded that returnees to Syria no longer face a significant threat to their lives or safety.
The decision concerns two Syrian men – one a 46-year-old chef, and the other his 26-year-old son – whose asylum applications were rejected in Austria before they arrived in Germany. Neither of them has committed any crimes. The court stated that their original areas, Damascus and Latakia, no longer experience a level of random violence that poses a real danger to them, and it confirmed that they are not expected to face extreme poverty or humanitarian emergencies upon their return, based on current assistance and repatriation programs.
According to data from the Central Register of Foreigners (Ausländerzentralregister), about 951,406 Syrians were living in Germany by the end of August. The Federal Ministry of the Interior reported that around 920 of them are required to leave the country and do not have temporary residence permits. For his part, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU party called for the acceleration of deportation processes to Syria, especially in cases involving offenders.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt from the CSU party confirmed that the German government is working to reach direct agreements with the Syrian authorities to enable deportation operations again. He said: "We are in the process of reaching agreements with Syria that allow for the return of returnees," emphasizing that the priority now is to deport criminals first.
In an interview with the Rheinische Post in September, Dobrinth explained the plan, saying: "We aim to reach an agreement with Syria this year, starting with the deportation of criminals, followed by those without residency rights." At the same time, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge – BAMF) resumed the study of asylum applications from Syrians, focusing particularly on the category of young people capable of working, as part of preparations for future deportation operations.