Social Democrat chancellor takes cautious stance in debate over returning Syrian refugees to their homeland following fall of Assad regime
Germany's chancellor has assured Syrian refugees that well-integrated residents can continue to stay and work in the country, even after the fall of the Assad regime.
“Anyone who is well-integrated, who studies in Germany, who works in Germany, who speaks German can stay, even if conditions in their home country have changed,” Olaf Scholz said Thursday night. “I think that is what humanity demands.”
Scholz made the remarks at the end of a lengthy EU summit in Brussels, where leaders discussed Syria, potential diplomatic relations with the new government in Damascus, and the ongoing debate about returning Syrian refugees in Europe to their homeland.
The Social Democratic chancellor criticized European right-wing parties for hastily launching campaigns to repatriate Syrian refugees after Assad's overthrow, stressing that Syria's political situation remains uncertain.
“The ongoing discussion about the return of Syrian citizens who sought refuge in our countries strikes me as rather peculiar – and that's putting it politely,” Scholz told reporters.
“Because no one can be sure now whether they can return. But of course there are many who would want to return if the situation eases. We will then support them and make this possible,” he said.
Scholz noted that Germany's migration authority has temporarily suspended decisions on Syrian asylum applications due to uncertainty about conditions in Syria.
The issue has become a key campaign topic ahead of Germany's February snap elections. While the opposition Christian Democrats and the far-right AfD push for rapid refugee returns, Scholz's Social Democrats and their Green coalition partners favor a more measured approach.
Germany hosts about 1 million Syrians who fled their country after civil war erupted in 2011. Among them, 321,500 have refugee status, while 330,000 hold temporary residence permits under subsidiary protection.
