Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt seeks to reach an agreement with Syria to resume the deportation of rejected asylum seekers. He stated that talks with the Syrian government will begin soon, adding: “We aim to conclude an agreement with Syria this year, and then deport criminals first, followed by those who have no right of residence.”
Dobrindt stated that he had issued an order to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to resume examining some pending asylum applications of Syrian nationals, in order to identify rejected asylum seekers in preparation for their deportation.
He added, “A distinction must be made between those who are well integrated and employed, and those who have no right to asylum and live on social assistance.”
The federal government had expected an increase in the voluntary return of Syrians following the fall of the Assad regime. It launched programs to support their voluntary return, but the number of returnees has remained below expectations. Only 1,867 people returned voluntarily last August with federal support.
According to figures from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, 83,150 Syrians obtained German citizenship last year. The number of Syrians obtaining citizenship is expected to rise before the end of this year, as those who entered Germany in 2015/2016 now meet the requirements to apply for citizenship.
As part of the government’s decision to expand deportations, the Interior Minister revealed that long-running negotiations have been taking place with the Taliban regarding the deportation of Afghans convicted of crimes. Dobrindt said, “Technical talks were also held during the previous legislative term. Under Annalena Baerbock, the Foreign Ministry organized at least six similar missions.”
The Minister spoke about Qatar’s role in supporting deportations to Afghanistan, adding, “In the future, I would like to organize this without intermediaries. To achieve this, we must speak with officials in Kabul.” The Minister indicated that a negotiation team will travel to Afghanistan in October 2025.
According to media reports, the talks with the Taliban aim to deport criminals to Afghanistan on regular flights rather than chartered flights. Dobrindt said, “Deportations to Afghanistan must take place regularly. That’s why we are now negotiating directly in Kabul to ensure the continued deportation of criminals and dangerous individuals in the future.”
