German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, right, and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa attend a joint press conference during their meeting at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin on Monday, where they announced a goal of 80% of Syrian refugees who fled the country during its 14-year-long civil war to return home. Photo by Filip Singer/EPA
The chancellor of Germany and president of Syria on Monday said that their goal is for 80% of Syrian refugees who have fled there to return home in the next three years.
With few details offered, Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Ahmed al-Sharaa set an ambitious goal for the majority of the roughly one million people there who sought asylum from the bloody civil war in Syria, The BBC reported.
Merz and Sharaa met Monday to discuss the return of Syrian refugees, while noting they have been a boon to Germany and are not being kicked out.
“Looking ahead over the next three years — as Sharaa has expressed his hope — around 80% of Syrians currently residing in Germany are expected to return to their home country,” Merz said during a press conference.
Sharaa thanked Merz and the country for welcoming Syrians during the civil war and said the country is “proud that Syrians have learned very quickly how to contribute to society.”
He said that his government is working with the German government to “establish a ‘circular’ migration model” that would allow Syrians to contribute to the reconstruction of Syria without abandoning the lives they have build in Germany.
Sharaa led forces that pushed former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assd to flee the country in late 2024 after they captured Damascus. His administration is now working to reconstruct and unify the country after 14 years of civil war there.
At the press conference, Merz and Sharaa said that overall conditions in Syria have “fundamentally improved,” a point which German politicians have been debating since the new Syrian president took over, Deutche Weille reported.
Syrian rebels take back areas controlled by Assad’s regime
A child stands atop an abandoned tank while opposition fighters spread out to areas previously controlled by Assad’s regime in the liberated areas of Daraa, in northern Syria, on December 17, 2024. Photo by Fadel Itani /UPI | License Photo
