Interior ministers from 16 German states will address the future of Syrian migrants in the country at a meeting scheduled for June 17 in Hamburg.
The discussion is expected to focus on Syrians' residency status, level of integration, and return options.
Call for Residency Guarantees for Well-Integrated Syrians
Lower Saxony, governed by the SPD, presented a draft resolution concerning Syrians. The draft emphasizes that many Syrians in Germany have permanently integrated through work, education, vocational training, and social participation.
The text notes that a large portion of employed Syrians work in critical sectors, with about half classified as skilled labor.
Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens stated that Syrians contribute effectively to Germany's economic stability.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called for the residency regime for this group to be legally secured and clarified regarding their chances of staying in the country. He also requested that legal solutions regulating residency rights be prepared by the Federal Ministry of the Interior by next autumn.
The draft also calls for increased residency opportunities for Syrians under temporary protection who have integrated well into German society.
The report notes that about 10,000 Syrians live in Germany under this temporary status, which is granted to individuals who do not meet asylum criteria but cannot be deported due to reasons such as serious illness or lack of necessary documents for deportation.
Reconsideration of Protection Decisions for Some Syrians on the Agenda
In states governed by the Christian Democratic Union, the Hesse Interior Ministry brought the residency status of Syrian citizens to the meeting agenda.
Led by Roman Poseck, the ministry highlighted a shift in the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees' approach to Syrian asylum applications. According to this, only 532 of the 25,923 Syrian applications made in 2025 were accepted.
The Hesse Interior Ministry anticipates that protection decisions granted to some Syrians may be revoked in the near future, which could lead to requests for departure from Germany.
Roman Poseck stated that the situation in Syria should be reassessed following the end of the war. He also advocated for the resumption of regular deportations to Syria in the long term.
Poseck welcomed the talks between the Federal Interior Minister and the Syrian government.
The Interior Minister emphasized that everyone who must leave the country should do so. Poseck noted that this view also applies to those granted temporary protection due to war conditions and stressed that the asylum system is not a migration system.
The report also mentioned that the number of Syrians with temporary humanitarian residence permits in Germany exceeds 500,000. Some of this group have secondary protection, while others fall under the Geneva Refugee Convention.
The meeting will also address the deportation of those convicted of crimes and the return of Syrians who have not sufficiently integrated into society and have been dependent on social assistance for a long time. This approach is argued to alleviate pressure on the social welfare system.
It was noted that returns from Germany have remained limited since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on December 8, 2024. A survey conducted in 16 German states reported that 10,009 Syrians have left the country so far, while more than 900,000 Syrians without German passports still live in Germany.
The German government is reportedly considering new options, including support of up to 8,000 euros, to encourage voluntary return of Syrian refugees.
