Germany is preparing to reintroduce deportations of Syrian nationals convicted of serious criminal offences, aligning with a wider shift in European migration policy following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria in December 2024.
The move mirrors Austria’s recent decision to carry out the first forced deportation of a Syrian citizen from the European Union since the change in power in Damascus.
The German Interior Ministry confirmed that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has been instructed to prioritise cases involving Syrians deemed dangerous or convicted of serious crimes. A spokesperson stated that the commission of such offences results in the loss of refugee protection status and may lead to deportation.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, speaking to Focus, said Germany was now in contact with Syria’s new government to facilitate returns. “We are also in contact with Syria… to reach an agreement on deporting criminals of Syrian nationality,” he said. Discussions are ongoing, but no formal deportations have yet taken place.
Austria deported a 32-year-old Syrian man last week after his asylum status was revoked in 2019 due to a criminal conviction. According to his legal adviser, the man was initially granted refugee status in 2014. Deportation proceedings had been delayed by airspace closures linked to regional tensions between Iran and Israel but were eventually carried out with the agreement of the Syrian authorities.
Austria’s decision has been described by EU officials and human rights groups as the first such removal to Syria since Assad’s downfall. The Austrian government argues that conditions in Syria have changed sufficiently to permit selective deportations, particularly in the case of individuals with criminal records. The Interior Ministry has launched proceedings to revoke refugee status in other similar cases.
Germany’s planned policy follows a similar rationale. According to BAMF statistics, Syrians and Afghans remain the largest asylum-seeking groups in Germany, with 76,765 and 34,149 applications respectively in 2024. While the majority of Syrians who arrived during the 2015–2016 refugee crisis are not affected, the focus is on individuals considered a threat to public security.
Dobrindt also confirmed that Germany is pursuing direct agreements with the Taliban regarding the deportation of Afghan nationals convicted of crimes. Although Germany does not recognise the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, Berlin resumed deportations to the country in August 2024 with the help of third-party intermediaries. Dobrindt has called for an end to reliance on intermediaries and for direct arrangements to be made.
The policy shift forms part of a broader programme advanced by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative-led government. The coalition agreement signed by the CDU, CSU, and FDP includes commitments to tighten asylum policies, resume deportations to Syria and Afghanistan, and suspend several humanitarian admission and family reunification initiatives.
The developments come amid growing political pressure in Germany and elsewhere in the EU over migration. The February 2025 national election saw a marked increase in support for far-right parties, fuelled in part by public concern over crimes involving migrants.
Human rights organisations have criticised the renewed deportation plans. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) maintains that no part of Syria can currently be considered safe for returns, citing ongoing violence, persecution, and humanitarian instability. “Syrians… must not be forcibly returned from any country, including those in the European Union, to any part of Syria,” according to UNHCR.
The case of the deported Syrian man in Austria has drawn attention from legal experts and civil society organisations. His lawyer, Ruxandra Staicu, argued that the return violated the European Convention on Human Rights, particularly its prohibition on torture and inhumane treatment. She pointed to the current state of Syria, including attacks on minorities and widespread poverty, as evidence that the country remains unsafe.
Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is expected to examine each case individually. No timeline has been announced for the first deportations, and legal challenges are likely to follow. German courts have in the past blocked returns to Syria, citing concerns over mistreatment or lack of legal safeguards.
Nonetheless, the coordination between Berlin and Vienna suggests a growing momentum within the EU towards reassessing protections for Syrians in light of geopolitical changes. With other member states also reassessing their post-Assad migration frameworks, further policy shifts may emerge across the bloc.
