German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) intends to continue offering a stay perspective in Germany to well-integrated, working Syrians after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. Many Syrians “have successfully put down roots here with us” he said in his podcast “Chancellor compact” on Friday. For example, around 5,000 Syrian doctors work in German hospitals.
Some statements from the past few days have “deeply unsettled” Syrian-origin fellow citizens, said the SPD politician. “That’s why I want to tell them today: Whoever works here, whoever is well-integrated, is and remains welcome in Germany. That’s completely self-evident.”
The AfD’s parliamentary group’s interior policy spokesperson, Gottfried Curio, had demanded on Tuesday that the Syrian refugees have their protection status revoked and their return “immediately implemented”. The CDU’s parliamentary group’s vice-chairman, Jens Spahn, had expressed his support on Monday for helping Syrian refugees return to their homeland.
Scholz wants to support refugees who hope to return to their homeland soon, “as soon as the situation allows”, as he explained in his podcast. “The coming days, weeks, and months will show in which direction Syria will develop without Assad.” Together with international partners, they are now working to make the hope of the Syrians for freedom in their homeland come true.
The hundreds of thousands of Syrians living in Germany, Scholz said, are hoping for a reconstruction of Syria. “Some of them have been living here for many years already. Most of them found refuge in Germany after the start of the civil war in their homeland” he explained. “Many of us have helped them settle in: in schools and language institutes, in cities and municipalities, in citizen initiatives and associations” said the Chancellor. “We can be proud of this great achievement of our country.