Germany Plans Deportation Agreement with Syria in 2025

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt revealed that Germany intends to finalize an agreement with Syria by the end of 2025 to facilitate the deportation of Syrian refugees convicted of crimes and asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected, according to an interview published on Saturday in the German daily Rheinische Post.

Dobrindt stated that negotiations with Damascus will begin soon, with the initial focus on deporting convicted criminals, followed by individuals without legal residence rights. He added that Germany is also holding talks with Afghanistan on a similar agreement to enable the return of Afghan nationals.

The development comes a day after US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper urged countries to accelerate the repatriation of their citizens from detention camps in northeast Syria during a UN meeting in New York. Cooper, who recently visited the al-Hol camp, stressed the urgent need to return women and children before they risk radicalization.

He also announced the creation of a Joint Repatriation Task Force to coordinate international efforts.

According to CENTCOM, the population of the Syrian camps has fallen from 70,000 in 2019 to fewer than 30,000 today.

Cooper also met with Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus, marking the first visit by a CENTCOM commander to the Syrian capital, and expressed appreciation for Syria’s cooperation in combating ISIS.

German Federal Statistics Office data shows that by the end of 2023, around 973,000 Syrians were living in Germany, including approximately 712,000 seeking protection.

Of these, many are still awaiting asylum decisions, while others hold temporary humanitarian protection or have been denied asylum. Media reports indicate that about 388,000 are currently under subsidiary protection, a form of international status granted to those not qualifying as refugees but still considered at risk.