Syrian migration to Germany drops sharply after fall of Assad regime

BERLIN

Syrian migration to Germany dropped sharply in 2025 following the fall of the Bashar Assad regime, with new arrivals declining by nearly half, according to official figures released Friday.

Germany's Federal Statistical Office reported approximately 40,000 arrivals of Syrian nationals from January through September 2025, compared to 74,600 during the same period in 2024, a 46.5% decrease.

During the same nine-month period, departures of Syrian nationals from Germany rose to 21,800, up from 16,100 the previous year, an increase of 35.3%.

According to the official figures, approximately 1.22 million people with Syrian migration backgrounds were living in Germany by the end of 2024. About one-quarter held German citizenship, often through naturalization.

Among the 713,000 Syrian nationals who fled the civil war and sought protection in Germany, 90% held humanitarian residence permits with recognized protection status as of late 2024. Another 64,200 had pending protection status decisions, while approximately 6,600 had received rejections.

The status of Syrian refugees and their potential return has sparked contentious debate in Germany since the Assad regime fell in December, often fueled by the far-right AfD party, which has seen its support grow in recent months.

Amid mounting political pressure, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said earlier this week that since the civil war is over, Syrian refugees are expected to return to their country and contribute to rebuilding it. He added that many Syrians in Germany would likely return voluntarily, and Berlin will encourage this and help the country rebuild quickly.

Asked about deporting Syrian nationals who have committed crimes and expelling those without legal status, Merz signaled his government will take a strict approach. "The civil war in Syria is over. There are no longer any grounds for asylum in Germany, and therefore we can begin repatriations," he said. "However, I am counting on a large proportion of the refugees who are in Germany now returning to the country of their own accord and participating in the reconstruction."