In the debate about the future of Syrians in Germany, Caritas President Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa warns against populism.
“The populist hardening of the anti-migration tone in the election campaign sparks false prejudices and irreparably damages the foundations of a welcoming culture for foreign skilled workers” she told the Tagesspiegel.
Earlier, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) told the Funke media group that a part of the Syrians must return under certain conditions: the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) will review and revoke protection guarantees “if people no longer need this protection in Germany.” This will apply to those who do not have a right of residence for other reasons, such as work or education, and do not voluntarily return to Syria.
Caritas President Welskop-Deffaa, however, reminded that many Syrians are a great help, for example in healthcare and social professions. There will also be a need for promoting voluntary return, as Syria needs “qualified forces for a democratic and economic relaunch.”
The First Parliamentary Manager of the Union, Thorsten Frei, on the other hand, accused Faeser of “hiding her inaction behind her resolute rhetoric.” It’s not just about administrative processing, Frei told the Tagesspiegel. Only with changes to the laws on the national and European level will the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees be able to review hundreds of thousands of asylum decisions. It also needs law changes to be able to deport criminals and Islamists efficiently and quickly.
Filiz Polat, Parliamentary Manager of the Greens, warned against hasty decisions. The trip of Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) to Syria had clearly shown “where the new power-holders ideologically come from” Polat told the Tagesspiegel. The BAMF will, as usual, review individual cases of flight, and Faeser only restated the law. “There is no reason for revocation reviews for Syrian beneficiaries of protection at the current assessment of the situation.