According to the UNHCR, since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, a total of 1.614 million refugees have returned to Syria. A report published by the “Welt am Sonntag”, citing the UN refugee agency, details these returns, noting that as of April 16, 2026, Syrians have returned to their home country from Turkey (634,000), Lebanon (621,000), and Jordan (284,000). The UNHCR list does not name Germany separately, listing the republic as part of a total group of “Other countries” with around 6,100 returnees.
However, establishing the foundation for a massive return of Syrians from Germany requires a complex legal process. Currently, parts of the population assumed to face low risk in the still unstable country need to undergo what are known as revocation hearings (Widerrufsprüfungen). These hearings are conducted by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) to determine if registered asylum seekers still require the protection status they previously received. Despite the need, the Bamf, as confirmed by the “Welt am Sonntag”, has yet to begin these systematic checks, which have historically only taken place on an ad hoc basis-such as in cases of illegal returns or serious criminal offenses.
The Bamf maintains that for revocation proceedings to take place, the change in the situation in the country of origin must be profound and permanent, not merely temporary. They state that this criterion can only be assessed after a significant period and once the conditions have stabilized. While the office’s latest country report from November notes a “tendency toward a stable downward trend in the overall number of conflict incidents” and fatalities since the change in government, it cautions that the economic and humanitarian situation in Syria remains destitute. When asked about accelerating the revocation checks, the Bamf stated that it is impossible to predict when the local situation will allow for an expansion of such proceedings.
Politically, the demand for checks is increasing. Alexander Throm, the SPD’s spokesperson for the Union faction, argued that many refugees’ claims for protection have lapsed since Assad’s downfall. Given that safe return for many is now possible, the CDU politician urged the government to initiate systematic revocation hearings immediately. Specifically, he called for the checks to start with young, single, Sunni men who receive social welfare benefits or who arrived in Germany recently. According to Throm, this is not a matter requiring new legislation but rather one that falls under routine government action.
However, the governing coalition partner, the SPD, has been cautious. Sebastian Fiedler, their chair in the parliamentary Interior Committee, told the “Welt am Sonntag” that incorporating the revocation hearings is not a top priority. He argued that the government must first focus on returning criminals, stating that much work remains in that area. Fiedler also expressed skepticism about whether the Bamf possesses the necessary personnel capacity to re-examine the protection status of hundreds of thousands of Syrians. He concluded that the focus should be on supporting voluntary returns, rather than trying to mandate the return of large groups of people.