On March 20, shortly after high-level remarks about returning hundreds of thousands of Syrians, 31-year-old Basel Gawish received a letter from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The Syrian national was informed his asylum claim had been denied, that he did not qualify for subsidiary protection, and that he must leave Germany within 30 days. He has appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe.
Gawish said the decision left him stunned. He told DW he had been kidnapped in Syria and fled through several countries before arriving in Germany and never expected his application to be rejected. In the two years since his arrival he has learned near-fluent German and is a licensed dentist training under an oral surgeon in the southern town of Bühl. The surgeon has indicated he may offer Gawish a permanent position once the internship ends. Gawish also volunteers as an interpreter for charities including the German Red Cross and assists federal police, using Arabic, English and Turkish.
“This is my country,” he said, describing his desire to stay and contribute after Germany provided shelter and support. Local supporters have mobilized on his behalf. A citizens’ group called “Grannies Against the Right” launched a “Basel Must Stay!” petition that has gathered almost 30,000 signatures, with organisers hoping to double that total. Nadja Glatt, who helped organise the campaign, highlighted a shortage of dental professionals and argued that deporting someone who has worked hard to integrate makes little sense.
The case comes amid renewed political pressure to increase returns of Syrians. At a late-March press conference, Germany’s Friedrich Merz and interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed a target that up to 80% of Syrians in Germany should return within three years; both later suggested the other had cited the figure. Still, Germany’s governing coalition (CDU/CSU and SPD) has signalled it wants to repatriate a large share of the roughly 950,000 Syrians currently in the country. In Hesse, the state interior minister even floated the idea of repatriation by ship.
Marie Walter-Franke of the German Council for Integration and Migration (SVR), who researches naturalisation and refugee integration, warned authorities may prioritise deporting well-integrated people because they are easiest to find. People who are registered, employed and have children in school create clear administrative records that make enforcement simpler, she said.
Walter-Franke, who has interviewed Syrian refugees including arrivals after the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, said instability and limited resources in Syria mean few want to return. Her research contradicts assertions that most Syrians in Germany wish to go back. She also criticised the broader political message, arguing it risks making all foreigners feel unwelcome.
While acknowledging some positive steps in migration policy — such as training schemes and targeted recruitment — Walter-Franke said Germany struggles to retain migrants over the long term. She urged faster processing at immigration offices and courts so residence permits are decided more quickly and refugees can enter the workforce. She also backed measures that would allow Syrians to visit their homeland without jeopardising their German residency status, and clearer routes for companies to train and then retain refugee trainees — the very path Gawish is pursuing.
Walter-Franke pointed to the demographic potential among Syrians in Germany: about one-third are minors, more than 200,000 young people who will soon enter the labour market. Many of these youths grew up in Germany, speak German fluently, and are less likely than their parents to face language or recognition barriers.
Public debate over deportations and repatriation targets has sparked backlash in some quarters, and personal stories like Gawish’s underline the tension between political objectives and individual integration efforts. His case has become a focal point in discussions about whether policy should prioritise mass returns or preserve the contributions of those already building lives and careers in Germany.
This article was translated from German.