Germany's Merz says 80 percent of Syrian immigrants should return home

© Lisi Niesner, Reuters
by FRANCE 24
March 30, 2026
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3 min read

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Germany's Chancellor Merz and Syrian President al-Sharaa agreed 80 percent of Syrian immigrants should return home within three years.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday that he and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa agreed that roughly 80 percent of Syrian immigrants in Germany should return home within three years. The agreement came during al-Sharaa's first presidential visit to Germany, which hosts Europe's largest Syrian diaspora. Germany has absorbed over a million Syrian refugees since the civil war began in 2011, making the repatriation plan a significant shift in the country's immigration policy. The move reflects broader pressure across Europe to manage migration and a shifting calculus toward Syria following the recent collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The timeline and practical mechanisms for such returns remain unclear, and the plan will likely face resistance from refugee advocacy groups and some German lawmakers.

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