BAMF has stripped protection from 1 in 4 Syrians it re-checked this year
Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has withdrawn or revoked protection status in nearly a quarter of the Syrian cases it re-examined during the first half of 2026 — a rate more than six times higher than a year ago.
The figures come from the federal government's written answer to a parliamentary question from the Left faction. Of 8,320 completed reviews of Syrian nationals between January and June, 23.2 percent ended in revocation or withdrawal of protection. The comparable rate was 3.7 percent across 2025 and 3.1 percent in 2024.
The jump follows a change in practice in mid-June. Until then, revocation checks concentrated on people convicted of criminal offences and on those who had travelled back to Syria. The BAMF then widened the net to two further groups: applicants whose cases have been pending longer than 21 months or where a court has compelled a decision, and refugees not classified as particularly vulnerable who are judged capable of supporting themselves in Syria — including those with family or an existing social network there.
New applications are being refused at a higher rate as well. The rejection rate for Syrian first-time applications now stands at 68.6 percent.
Losing protection status does not usually mean rapid removal. Germany recorded only three deportations to Syria in the first half of 2026, and people whose status is withdrawn retain the right to appeal, which suspends enforcement while the case is heard. Many Syrians in Germany also hold jobs in sectors with recognised labour shortages — retail, temporary employment agencies, hospitality, health care and courier services — which can support a separate residence claim on employment grounds.
Anyone holding subsidiary protection with a long-pending case, or who has travelled to Syria since the change in practice, is now materially more likely to be called in for review than they were three months ago.
Sources: tagesschau (16.08.2026), ZEIT Online, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.