German-Austrian movements to return refugees to Syria
In a surprising move, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) arrived in the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday, accompanied by his German counterpart Nancy Faeser (SPD). There, they met with the Interior Minister of the Syrian transitional government, Anas Khattab, to discuss ways to repatriate Syrian refugees from Austria and Germany.
Karner's visit to Syria was canceled at the end of March due to security threats, but it was successfully carried out this time. During the meeting, the main focus was on studying how to deport refugees, especially those who have committed serious crimes.
So far, no official agreement has been reached regarding the repatriation of refugees, and Austria and Germany are currently seeking to establish communication channels with the new Syrian transitional government.
These developments come after the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, where Ahmad al-Shara, leader of the HTS Islamic group, assumed the position of transitional president of Syria.
An Airbus A350 aircraft belonging to the German Air Force took off from Berlin early Sunday and landed at Vienna Airport, where it was joined by the Austrian mission before heading to Damascus.