On Sunday, the German Ministry of the Interior announced the number of Syrian refugees who have left Germany to return to their homeland following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The ministry confirmed that 1,867 Syrians had returned to Syria by the end of August, supported by funding from the German federal government. By the end of May, only 804 Syrian refugees had benefited from this support.
German states also offer programs to finance voluntary returns to Syria. In addition to these programs, there are Syrians who have returned voluntarily without receiving financial assistance from the German government.
Since the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the night of December 8, most returning refugees have come from neighboring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.
Janine Lietmeyer, a board member of World Vision Germany, noted that families in particular often find this decision difficult. Lietmeyer visited Syria in August and observed that the relatively normal situation in central Damascus contrasts sharply with the severe problems in other parts of the country, making it hard for returnees to regain stability in their original hometowns.
According to the German Ministry of the Interior, 83,150 former Syrian nationals obtained German citizenship last year. Comparable data for this year is not yet available.
Meanwhile, Syrians continue to arrive in Germany seeking asylum. Between January and the end of August, 17,650 Syrians submitted asylum applications to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.