Germany considers plans to deport criminals to Syria amid ongoing stabilisation

Germany’s government is considering plans to deport criminal offenders to Syria and other countries, amid the ongoing stabilisation of Syria’s political and security situation.

Speaking on the public broadcaster, ARD, on Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz revealed that his government’s ongoing talks with the new Syrian interim government to promote stability and an inclusive political process could result in the deportation of Syrian criminal offenders from Germany to their home country.

“Offenders should be returned to their country, and we want to enforce this whenever we have the opportunity,” Scholz said. “Will there be a time when, for example, criminals can be returned to Syria? Yes. And I hope that will be soon. And that’s the most urgent concern.”

Such a policy move would be contingent on the progress of political and stabilisation in Syria and other home countries, however. “Will those who have not gained a foothold here perhaps eventually return to the countries they came from, and in this case Syria? I would say yes, but we have to wait to see if positive developments actually materialise.”

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The German Chancellor added that “we are talking to the Syrian government to make a process possible where various groups in the country would work together. There are many different religious groups, there are many different ethnic groups, and everyone has to find a place in the future Syria, that would be very important.”

Increased bilateral relations between Berlin and the new authorities Damascus – which took power following the overthrow of the Assad regime on 8 December – would supposedly edge the deportation plans closer to reality, with Scholz pointing out that his government has already worked to streamline the procedures relating to the deportation of rejected asylum seekers and undocumented migrants through recent legislative changes.

The German leader notably highlighted his country’s first deportation flight to Afghanistan back in August 2024, which removed a number of alleged violent criminal offenders from Germany.

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