Interior ministers from Germany's 16 states will convene in Hamburg to discuss the future of Syrian migrants living in the country.
The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, will focus on the residency status of Syrians, their level of integration, and options for return.
Demand for Residence Guarantees for Those Who Have Integrated
Lower Saxony, governed by the SPD, has 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 draft 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 to ensure their continued stay in the country. He also requested that legal solutions regulating residence rights be prepared by the Federal Ministry of the Interior by next autumn.
The draft also calls for increased residence opportunities for Syrians under temporary protection who have integrated well into German society.
The report noted that about 10,000 Syrians in Germany live 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.
Possible Revocation of Protection Decisions for Some Syrians on the Agenda
In states governed by the Christian Democratic Union, the Hesse Interior Ministry has 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. In 2025, only 532 out of 25,923 Syrian applications were accepted.
The Hesse Interior Ministry anticipates that protection decisions granted to some Syrians may be revoked in the near future, potentially prompting requests for their 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 in Germany with temporary humanitarian residence permits 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 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 since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on December 8, 2024, returns from Germany have been limited. A survey conducted in Germany's 16 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.
