Germany says Syrians returning home risk losing protected status
Syrian refugees returning to their home country from Germany run the risk of losing protected status, an Interior Ministry spokesman said in Berlin on Friday.
“The Federal Interior Ministry has decided against facilitating trips back home for Syrians without effects on their protected status, following thorough consideration,” the spokesman said in response to a question.
The previous government considered allowing trips to Syria by refugees to prepare for a possible permanent return. Turkey has made a similar arrangement for its Syrian refugees.
The interior minister at the time, Nancy Faeser, backed the idea, which had been put forward by the Foreign Office, but had not implemented it by the time the new centre-right government took over in May.
Current rules allow Syrians to retain protected status after a trip home only in exceptional cases, such as a dying family member in Syria.
The German migration and refugee authority suspended all decisions on Syrian asylum applications following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, the country’s dictator, in December, with exceptions made for criminals and people seen as potentially dangerous, along with those where another EU country is responsible.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul does not believe that Syrians will return in large numbers in the near future, on account of the severe destruction of their country.
On visiting a Damascus suburb this week, Wadephul noted that much of the country’s infrastructure had been destroyed.
