This is the question children are starting to ask at home, said lawyer Nahla Osman, as the social debate about whether Syrian refugees should return now, after nearly 14 years of civil war, has become a topic of discussion in schools and kindergartens. The Hesse-based lawyer heads the board of the German Syrian Aid Association, a group representing several Syrian aid organizations in Europe.
“Unfortunately, we have heard that children are being told: ‘You are Syrian, go back.’ Many children now shy away from even speaking Arabic. But on the other hand, we also have many neighbours, initiatives and organizations that say ‘You are part of Germany, we support you’,” Osman said this week at an online press conference organized by Middienst Integration, a Berlin-based research platform for journalists focusing on migration, integration and asylum.
Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, many German politicians have been calling on Syrians to leave Germany and rebuild their native country. Earlier this month, Jens Spahn, leader of the parliamentary group of the governing conservative union (Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union, CDU/CSU) in the Bundestag, drew parallels with Germany’s reconstruction efforts after World War II. Syrian refugees had a responsibility and a “patriotic duty” to help restore their country, Spahn said.
However, Syrians living in Germany face a difficult choice: if they decide to return to Syria to evaluate the situation and consider their options, they risk losing their protected status in Germany. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has said Germany does not want to authorize any more exploratory trips, saying people can learn about life there using their smartphones.
“Can you go back with children? Can you go back if you have health problems? You can’t decide on these things over the phone with relatives,” said Osman, who has visited Syria several times recently. “We must focus on long-term and voluntary returns.”
About one million Syrian people live in Germany
According to Mediendienst Integration, of the approximately 948,000 Syrian citizens currently living in Germany, approximately 667,000 have a temporary residence permit. Of that group, about 10,700 Syrians do not have legal residence status, and are therefore required to leave the country legally – just over 1% of the total, according to German government figures. But most of that group cannot be deported because of serious illness or lost travel documents.
Since January, Syrians have been able to return to their home country under an aid program. Results: Nearly 2,900 people have so far taken up the offer – which covers travel costs and initial financial support.
“Many Syrians have invested a lot of time and resources here over the past 10 years in order to build a new life for themselves in Germany. The return is another upheaval in their lives,” said Nora Ragab, a migration researcher in Berlin. “In Syria, you don’t start where you left off – your home may not be there anymore, the economic situation is very difficult and there is still violence in different places. This whole discussion ignores the work that many people have done to come here and become part of society.”
Ragab has studied the development of Syrian civil society after the fall of dictator Bashar Assad, and has spoken to the Syrian people about the possibility of a return to power. Their conclusion: There is no need to return permanently to help rebuild the country. Temporary aid also matters, for example, such as doctors who go to Syria to perform surgeries and help set up the health system.
Another aspect that is rarely heard in the debate, Ragab said, is the composition of the Syrian population in Germany. “More than a third are children and youth under 18. So there is a generation that has fully integrated into German society,” he said.
German citizenship for Syrian refugees in question
Caroline Popp, a researcher at the Berlin-based Expert Council on Integration and Migration, has also followed the debate over Syrians in Germany closely.
“The political climate and rhetoric is felt by the Syrian community. It is currently creating a lot of uncertainty. The feeling that, no matter how hard you work, you will never be completely free, even with a German passport,” said Popp, one of the authors of a recent study on the subject of “Migrants and More.” Civil society participation of Afghan and Syrian communities in Germany.
“The risk of offending people who are engaged in society and have a strong desire to participate is too great.”
The German government has made it difficult to obtain citizenship. The so-called fast-track naturalization introduced by the previous centre-left government, which allowed particularly well-integrated foreigners to become naturalized after just three years, has been scrapped. Conservative politicians also want to revoke dual citizenship from people who have committed crimes, and dual citizenship itself should again become an exception.
However, the Pope is calling for reconsideration. He said secure residence status or dual citizenship could be an important element in enabling exiled populations to participate in a rapidly changing country.
“There is a direct link between citizenship and return,” the Pope said, adding that this link was not being recognized by policy makers.
This article was originally written in German.
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