BERLIN: Syrians no longer have grounds for asylum in Germany now the civil war in their country is over, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, as his conservatives seek to fend off a surging far-right ahead of a slew of state elections next year.
Germany was the EU country that took in the largest number of refugees from the 14-year-long Syrian civil war due to former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-door policy, with around one million Syrians living in the country today.
But Merz and several fellow conservatives in his coalition cabinet say the situation has changed following the fall last December of Bashar Assad’s government and end of the war — despite the fact Syria remains in a deep humanitarian crisis and forcible returns would face steep legal challenges.
COUNTERING THE AfD
“There are now no longer any grounds for asylum in Germany, and therefore we can also begin with repatriations,” Merz said late on Monday, adding that he expected many Syrians to return of their own accord to rebuild the country.
