BAMF targets single Sunni men for deportation from Germany to Syria
The German government continues its rapid steps to deport Syrian refugees to their country, as German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) seeks to expand the targeted category for deportation to include not only those who pose a security threat or have a criminal record, but also other young Syrians.
Until the end of September, asylum decisions related to Syrians were postponed. However, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) has since resumed considering asylum applications, particularly concerning young, able-bodied, and single individuals. Decisions are particularly focused on individuals from the Sunni community, while exceptions still exist for religious and ethnic minorities. Procedures for withdrawing protection from refugees who have been confirmed to have returned to Syria have also been reactivated, again focusing on the youth category.
Legal expert on asylum issues Daniel Time believes that the Ministry of Interior's approach is "understandable," pointing out that the available information about the situation in Syria and some judicial rulings support the idea that the chances of rejecting asylum for Sunni Syrians, especially single men, have increased. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for internal policy in the union, Alexander Trom, stated that "the civil war and the Assad regime have ended, so I see no reason to prevent Sunni Arabs from returning to Syria." Sonia Ischfideh from the Social Democratic Party supported the approach to review the content of asylum applications, but she confirmed that decisions regarding family reunification remain pending, regardless of the situation inside Syria.
However, the Green Party and the Left Party have a completely different opinion, as Filiz Bulut from the Greens stated that "Syria is neither safe nor stable, and the situation remains fragile." Clara Bünger from the Left expressed her concern that the infrastructure in Syria is largely destroyed, with a lack of healthcare and clean drinking water, pointing out that deportation under such conditions "violates human rights." For his part, the spokesperson for domestic policy in the AfD party, Gottfried Kreu, stated that "asylum is temporary protection, and those affected should be returned to their countries."
The Minister of the Interior of Bavaria, Joachim Herrmann (CSU), expressed his support for the initiative, stating that Germany will continue to provide humanitarian aid and will not deport those who have successfully integrated, but he emphasized at the same time the necessity of deporting criminals and imposing limits on the flow of refugees, including the deportation of Syrians who have not integrated into German society.