Winfried Kluth, the chairman of Germany’s Advisory Council for Integration and Migration, has voiced strong doubts about Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s proposal that 80 % of Syrian refugees living in Germany return to their country within three years. According to Kluth, the plan sets up unrealistic expectations and creates uncertainty for the people involved, a risk that should be avoided.
Kluth acknowledges that the idea of a mass return makes sense in light of the reconstruction needed in Syria, but he cautions that the conditions for a safe, permanent return are far from clear. Violence and armed conflict are continuing, especially in northern and northeastern Syria, and that region’s humanitarian and economic situation remains dire. “Many houses and streets are destroyed, and there is a lack of jobs and housing” he said.
The adviser also urged that the interests and needs of the refugees themselves, as well as those of the German labour market, be taken into account. “Many Syrians are well integrated here, they work and their children attend school” Kluth added.