Most Syrian refugees in Germany retain their protection status even after a revocation review by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The office examines whether conditions exist that would allow the revocation of a protection title and, consequently, a possible deportation.
In 2025, the BAMF conducted 17,767 revocation reviews, according to Focus. However, the protection title was withdrawn for only 659 Syrians. In 17,108 cases the BAMF decided against revocation. Thus more than 96 % of the cases did not result in a loss of protection, contrary to what the federal government had anticipated.
The trend continues this year. Among 2,280 revocation reviews, only 253 led to a removal of protection; 2,027 Syrians were allowed to keep their title.
At present, 19,841 pending revocation reviews for Syrian nationals remain undecided. Revocation procedures are initiated mainly for individuals who have committed crimes or pose a threat, as well as when Syrians travel back to their home country. Refugees are generally prohibited from returning to Syria unless they possess a sealed residence permit in Germany.
BAMF officials attribute the low number of revocations mainly to justified home visits, such as attending a family funeral. Nevertheless, a significant increase in revocation reviews is likely if the federal interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), authorizes the resumption of routine checks. Since January 2023, revocation reviews have only been carried out when the BAMF has a specific reason, such as a criminal act or a home trip. If routine reviews were reintroduced, the agency would again subject hundreds of thousands of protection titles to scrutiny.
It is estimated that up to 600,000 Syrians in Germany hold a protection status under the Geneva Convention or a subsidiary protection title. With the civil war in Syria concluding in December 2024, the number of revocations may rise in the coming months. Yet Germany must also be prepared to conduct regular deportations back to Syria, which have so far occurred only sporadically.
The upcoming visit of Syrian President Ahmed al‑Scharaa to Berlin is highly anticipated. A meeting with Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had been planned for January but was postponed. According to Focus, the visit is scheduled for the end of the month and may include agreements on the repatriation of Syrians. Dobrindt announced in early March that a visit with al‑Scharaa would take place soon and stated, a few weeks ago, that the meeting would be “made up” in the near future.