A brief remark by Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a press event in Berlin has ignited a political and diplomatic storm. After a meeting with Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Merz told journalists that in the longer term — over the next three years — about 80% of Syrians currently living in Germany should return to Syria. He later said he was repeating what he described as al-Sharaa’s wish; al-Sharaa has denied making that demand.
The comment surprised reporters and provoked immediate questions about feasibility. With hundreds of thousands of Syrians living in Germany, critics asked whether such a mass return is realistic or humane. Al-Sharaa, speaking at a Chatham House event, said he had not made the request and that the statement had been attributed to him by others.
The dispute risked straining relations with the Syrian interim leadership and became a domestic political flashpoint. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul defended Merz, suggesting the aim aligned with government policy, but voices from across the political spectrum pushed back.
Green lawmaker Luise Amtsberg described the proposal as out of touch and cynical, arguing it ignored Syria’s precarious security situation and the extent to which many Syrians are already integrated into German society. Even figures within the coalition voiced reservations: Saarland premier Anke Rehlinger (SPD) warned that naming precise percentages and short timelines creates expectations that may be impossible to meet. CDU foreign-policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter highlighted practical problems, especially potential losses in health and care sectors; the German Hospital Federation notes Syrian doctors are the largest group among foreign doctors in Germany.
At the same press conference Merz acknowledged those concerns and said Germany has an interest in retaining well-integrated people, particularly in professions such as medicine and nursing.
The numbers involved make the issue complex. Depending on how it is counted, there are roughly 900,000 Syrians in Germany and about 1.2 million people of Syrian origin overall. More than a quarter of people of Syrian origin have acquired German citizenship. Most arrived after the Syrian civil war began 15 years ago; around 600,000 came before 2019, and the pandemic sharply curtailed arrivals thereafter.
Legal protections also complicate deportations. Many Syrians in Germany hold subsidiary protection, a status permitting residence while they face danger at home. The federal government says Syria’s civil war ended after Bashar al-Assad was overthrown at the end of 2024 and an interim president installed, and Berlin resumed deportations to Syria in 2025 for the first time since 2011. But each return requires an individual reassessment of protection needs by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), with decisions subject to appeal in administrative courts. Courts are already dealing with a backlog of roughly 180,000 asylum cases.
Economic integration is another obstacle to large-scale returns. After an average of seven years in Germany, 42% of Syrians have found employment, and three-quarters of those jobs are skilled positions. Since 2023, a policy has allowed employed refugees to shift from asylum-related status to labor-migration status to help fill skills shortages and encourage integration.
Experts say repatriating a large share of Syria’s community within three years is unrealistic and warn the pledge could have political costs. The next federal election is three years away, and analysts expect the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to pressure Merz on repatriation promises.
Syrian community leaders and migration specialists reacted strongly. Nahla Osman, a Syrian-born lawyer who leads an umbrella organization of German-Syrian aid groups, called the proposal practically unfeasible and argued it looked like domestic political signaling rather than a workable policy. She noted a back-of-the-envelope calculation would require deporting roughly 730 people a day for three years — a logistical scenario many regard as unrealistic.
So far, returns have largely been voluntary. A federal-state incentive scheme launched in early 2025, offering paid flights and a €1,000 start-up grant for adults, has seen 3,678 Syrians accept the package.
The controversy illustrates the tension between political rhetoric, operational realities and humanitarian obligations. It has sparked debate about how Germany should balance integration, labor-market needs and migration policy while managing diplomatic relations with a newly configured Syrian authority. This article was translated from German.