Germany Seeks Agreement with Syria to Repatriate Rejected Asylum Seekers

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that his country is working to reach an agreement with the Syrian government to enable the return of Syrian asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected, as part of a tougher immigration policy and efforts to combat illegal residency.

Dobrindt, a member of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), told the German newspaper Bild that the German government aims to expand deportations to include, in addition to convicted criminals, a category of young Syrians who are not entitled to remain in the country.

The minister explained that he has instructed the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to resume reviewing asylum applications submitted by Syrians, focusing primarily on applications from “young people capable of working,” according to a ministry spokesperson.

Dobrindt also indicated his ministry’s intention to reject asylum applications from Syrians who have returned to their home country on visits after arriving in Germany, considering this a sign that the grounds for asylum no longer exist.

He emphasized that any deportations to Syria will be conditional upon reaching an agreement with the new government in Damascus, stating: “We are working on reaching an agreement with Syria to make returns possible. We want to start with deporting convicted criminals.”

Earlier, Dobrindt had expressed hope to finalize this agreement before the end of the current year, but the Interior Ministry later clarified that “there are no new developments currently” regarding negotiations with Damascus.

Separately, the minister revealed progress in talks with the Taliban regarding the return of rejected Afghan asylum seekers, confirming that the goal is to organize “regular” deportation operations, including the use of commercial flights alongside chartered planes.

These steps come amid efforts by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government to tighten immigration policy, in an attempt to contain the rising support for far-right parties, which have been gaining ground on conservative parties in recent opinion polls.