A majority of German citizens favor the return of many Syrian nationals who currently reside in the country. This sentiment was reported by the news magazine Focus, citing an Insa poll. According to the survey, 56 percent of German citizens believe that a significant proportion of Syrian nationals should return within the next three years.
This focus on return migration gained political traction when Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU brought up the possibility of 80 percent of Syrian refugees returning within the next three years during a meeting with the Syrian transitional president, Ahmed al-Scharaa, at the end of March.
Currently, the figures show a substantial gap between potential return and reality. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, only 9,867 Syrians have actually returned since the end of the war in December 2024. For comparison, an estimated 930,112 Syrian nationals reside in Germany today. The majority of this population holds temporary residence permits based on subsidiary protection or status under the Geneva Convention.
To encourage more Syrians to return voluntarily, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) has proposed making the return benefits more attractive. Speaking to Focus, he argued that stronger financial support is necessary, particularly for individuals who lack sufficient means to cover their expenses during the initial months back home. Currently, the average return package for Syrians is 1,000 euros. Complementing this view, Hans-Eckhard Sommer, the head of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), recently called for significantly higher bonuses for voluntary returnees.