Germany to Begin Deporting Convicted Syrians Amid Rising Security Concerns
Germany will begin deporting Syrian nationals with criminal records, ending a long-standing policy. The shift follows Austria’s recent deportation of a Syrian convict. Officials say serious crimes void asylum rights, amid rising EU pressure to tighten migration rules post-Assad.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Germany’s interior ministry announced on Saturday that it will begin deporting Syrian nationals with criminal records, in what marks a significant shift in the country’s asylum and migration policy. The move follows Austria’s decision earlier this week to deport a Syrian convict directly to Syria, becoming the first European Union country to do so in recent years, according to Die Welt and AFP.
A spokesperson for Germany’s interior ministry confirmed to AFP that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has been instructed to take action against “dangerous Syrian individuals and delinquents.” The spokesman emphasized that committing serious crimes disqualifies individuals from asylum protection and may lead to the revocation of any previously granted status.
The decision stems from an agreement between the governing coalition comprising Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc and the Social Democrats. The coalition resolved to initiate deportations to Afghanistan and Syria “starting with delinquents and people considered a threat,” the spokesman said.
As part of the new policy, the ministry confirmed it is currently in contact with the relevant Syrian authorities to facilitate the deportation process. Between January and May of this year, BAMF opened more than 3,500 cases that could potentially result in the revocation of asylum or protection status for Syrian nationals. Of these, refugee status was withdrawn in 57 instances, and lower-level protection was revoked in 22 others, the ministry told parliament.
Germany has also been promoting a voluntary repatriation program, under which around 800 Syrians have returned home so far this year. A total of 2,000 individuals have signed up for the program, which is funded by the German government.
Austria, for its part, deported a Syrian criminal convict on Thursday, making it the first EU country to officially deport a Syrian national directly to Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Austria’s interior ministry described the deportation as the first such action in approximately 15 years.
Germany is home to roughly one million Syrians, most of whom arrived during the mass refugee influx in 2015 and 2016. However, with recent jihadist attacks and far-right violence fueling public concern over domestic security, the issue of deportation has gained renewed political urgency.
Far-right parties across Europe have intensified their focus on migration and asylum issues, especially following Assad’s fall, leading several countries to suspend or re-evaluate existing protection measures for Syrian nationals. Germany’s latest move signals a growing consensus among certain EU member states to reassess their asylum frameworks in light of shifting political and security dynamics.
