Germany has carried out its first deportation to Syria since the 2011 outbreak of the country’s civil war, by sending a convicted Syrian national back to Damascus on a scheduled commercial flight.
The 37-year-old man had served a prison sentence in North Rhine-Westphalia for aggravated robbery, bodily harm, and extortion.
Federal police escorted him to the Syrian capital, where he was handed over to local authorities on December 23, 2025.
The Federal Interior Ministry announced the deportation alongside another person who was deported to Afghanistan.
The ministry said it had reached agreements with both Damascus and representatives in Kabul to enable “regular” deportations of serious offenders and security risks in the future.
“Criminals must leave our country. We stand for control, consequence, and zero tolerance towards offenders and threats,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU).
Dobrindt justified the tightening of deportations by saying German municipalities were overburdened by foreign nationals serving prison sentences.
“We have reached the breaking point for a long time and the overload in the municipalities is visible,” he said.
This move follows months of diplomatic effort after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. Al-Assad’s fall ended the 14-year conflict and prompted a reassessment of Germany’s long-standing ban on returns to Syria.
The coalition agreement between CDU/CSU and SPD explicitly committed the new government to resuming deportations to Syria and Afghanistan, starting with criminals and “Gefährder” (potential threats).
Chancellor Friedrich Merz had been a strong advocate of the move, inviting Syria’s transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa to discuss further returns.
The deportation carries significant symbolic weight amid heightened public concern over migration, with around one million Syrians currently living in Germany.
Many of them were granted protection during the 2015-2016 refugee influx under Angela Merkel.
While the government views the Syrian civil war as over, human rights organisations continue to warn of the country’s instability, highlighting risks for returnees in a country still grappling with reconstruction and security challenges.
🎙️Don´t miss the full interview with @RibalAlAssad first cousin to deposed Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad 👉🏽 https://t.co/EZ3ZrDbzmG#syria #politicslive #politicstoday pic.twitter.com/33nM5p34Iu
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) December 11, 2024
