A program to support the voluntary return of Syrian refugees and asylum seekers has so far only been met with lukewarm acceptance. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) reported in response to a query that, as of January 30, 150 applications had been submitted, with funding approved for 36 individuals, according to the “Welt am Sonntag”.
The program, launched on January 13, provides the federal government with a budget to cover the travel costs of Syrian returnees, as well as a one-time travel allowance of up to €200 and a maximum of €1,000 for reintegration in Syria. There are currently around one million Syrians living in Germany, the majority of whom are asylum seekers and refugees.
The federal states, on the other hand, are urging the federal government to create the necessary conditions to allow for the resumption of deportations to Syria. Deportations to the country were suspended in March 2012 due to the outbreak of the civil war at the time. “It is the responsibility of the Foreign Office to quickly reassess the situation on the ground” said Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Migration, Marion Gentges (CDU), to the “Welt am Sonntag”. In Baden-Württemberg, there are currently 11 serious offenders from Syria, according to the Ministry.
Hesse’s Interior Minister, Roman Poseck (CDU), said to the newspaper: “With the fall of the terrorist regime of Assad, the basis for the flight of many Syrians has fallen away. Therefore, I advocate for a reassessment of the situation.” The federal government is “half-hearted” in its approach.
The CDU-led Interior Ministry in Saxony-Anhalt reported that, in the federal state, there are currently 285 Syrians who are deportable. However, the federal government has so far not even enabled the creation of the necessary conditions for the deportation of Syrian offenders and dangerous individuals.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had announced at the beginning of the year that the protection status for asylum seekers and refugees from Syria would be reviewed in light of the changed situation in the country. Integrated Syrians with a stable job should be allowed to remain in Germany, “criminals and Islamists” – as soon as the situation in Syria allows for it – should be deported as quickly as possible.
From the Foreign Office, it was heard that the situation report relevant to asylum and deportation issues could only be updated once the situation in the country has stabilized.
The vice-chair of the CDU parliamentary group, Andrea Lindholz, said to the “Welt am Sonntag”: “The federal government should now come up with a reassessment of the situation in Syria as quickly as possible.” The resumption of federal funding for voluntary returns speaks in favor of the possibility of deportations being resumed again. Faeser must present a “comprehensive, concrete return concept.” Lindholz added: “Instead of taking the initiative and establishing contact with the new Syrian authorities, the federal interior minister is irritating with the bizarre proposal of voluntary reconnaissance trips. Apparently, Minister Faeser is overwhelmed with the important task of organizing a orderly return of Syrians to their homeland.