A Syria’s minister has rejected calls for large-scale repatriations of Syrians living in Germany, calling the community a “strategic asset” for his country.
Foreign minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani said the Syrian Government prefers working to create conditions for voluntary repatriation, describing engagement with the diaspora as central to national reconstruction efforts.
He said Damascus has proven it is a reliable political partner and is building genuine strategic partnerships with other countries.
Crucially he added: “The issue concerning our people abroad was strongly present in all our discussions. We reaffirm once again: Syrians in exile are strategic national assets, not burdens.
“We categorically reject any attempts at forced deportation, and we are working diligently with our partners to prepare the infrastructure and provide a safe environment befitting those who choose a dignified and voluntary return,” he added.
Al-Shaibani said the presence of Syrians in other countries “is a message to the world that Syrians are one people undivided by distances, and building the Syria of the future is a national project par excellence”.
The remarks come days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed that around 80 per cent of the approximately 900,000 Syrians in Germany were expected to return home within three years to aid reconstruction.
Merz initially attributed the figure to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa before appearing to backtrack, telling German media that the Syrian leader had cited it as a wish.
Al-Sharaa has since denied using the 80 per cent figure.
Germany, which hosts the largest Syrian diaspora in the European Union, has signalled a tougher stance on migration under Merz’s government, citing improved conditions in post-Assad Syria.
NGOs and parts of the German administration, though, have warned against hasty deportations, citing ongoing instability.
Political sociologist Professor Ruud Koopmans in Berlin said Syria sees its diaspora as a “source of remittances, a bridge for chain marriage migration across generations, and political capital gained through voter blocs”.
He called for a resolute halt to naturalisation and the possibility of family reunification.
The Syrian President has been on tour in Europe, which included high-level talks in Berlin with Merz and in London with King Charles III and the British Prime Minister Kier Starmer, focused on lifting sanctions, economic partnerships and reconstruction.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been forced to row back on an ambitious pledge that 80 per cent of Syrians currently living in Germany could return home within three years. https://t.co/NFPwic4uhv
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 1, 2026
