Welt: Merz proposes the return of 80% of Syrians in response to Sharaa’s desire

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s (CDU) remarks about the return of 80% of Syrians residing in Germany to their country have sparked widespread criticism, including his coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), as well as the Green Party.

According to the Welt newspaper, Merz said during the visit of Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa to Berlin that about 80% of the more than 900,000 Syrians living in Germany should return to their homeland within the next three years, noting that this is in line with the legitimate president’s wishes.

The German chancellor also stressed that the civil war in Syria is over, and that there is in principle a possibility of return, however, these remarks were met with criticism within political circles.

Social Democratic Party vice-president Anke Rillinger said, “It’s not wise for the chancellor to put forward specific figures within specific time frames, because that creates expectations that he may not be able to achieve”.

Reilinger added that she understands the Syrian president’s desire for the return of his citizens, noting that some Syrians may respond to this, which is a good thing.

But she stressed that many Syrians are now part of German society, integrating into the labor market, working in professions that are severely lacking, such as caring for the elderly or driving buses, and some have even already obtained German citizenship.

For its part, the German Association of Hospitals stressed the great importance of Syrian cadres in the health system, noting that Syrian doctors constitute the largest group of foreign doctors working in Germany.

The association’s vice chairman, Henriette Neumeyer, told the German Liberation Network (RND) that the number of Syrian doctors working in German hospitals has reached 5,745 until the end of 2024.

She added that Syrian cadres also play an important role in the nursing sector, with more than 2,000 Syrian nurses working in German hospitals.

She warned that the departure of these cadres would lead to tangible effects on the level of health care, considering that pushing them to return to Syria “won’t be useful from the perspective of the health system”.

From her part, Green Party lawmaker Louise Amsberg criticized the chancellor’s remarks, calling them “embarrassing”.

“With these statements, the chancellor sows concern among hundreds of thousands of Germans of Syrian origins, who may believe that they will be forced to leave Germany in the coming years,” she said.

Amsberg added that putting forward such figures ignores the fragile reality of the security situation in Syria, as well as the fact that many Syrian refugees have become an integral part of German society.

Green Party leader Franziska Brantner described the percentage of Syrian refugees that Meretz spoke about as exaggerated and unrealistic, stressing that returning to Syria isn’t an option available to many people at the moment.

Daniel Thiem, a migration researcher at the University of Konstanz, said the goal of returning about 80% of Syrians living in Germany is completely unrealistic.

“Such figures are likely to remain an illusion, and won’t be possible even through voluntary return,” he said.

Tim pointed out that the number of Syrians who have voluntarily returned to their country so far doesn’t exceed a few thousand, stressing that there are no indications that this reality will change radically, whether through voluntary return or even through forced deportation.