Germany to deport Syrians deemed 'dangerous,' rallying advocates

MENA

Published: 2020-12-09 19:39

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 21:59


Source: DW
Source: DW

After being at the forefront of countries welcoming Syrians fleeing the civil war in 2015, Germany is moving towards deporting those convicted of crimes or those it considers dangerous, which raised widespread controversy in the country.

By Friday, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, who supports the resumption of deportations of Syrians to their country under certain conditions, is expected to issue a decision with his counterparts in the 16 German provinces in this regard.

This decision will constitute a major shift in policy in a country that welcomed about 790,000 Syrians ten years ago, and currently hosts the largest Syrian community in Europe.

Since 2012, Germany has suspended deportations to Syria due to the bloody conflict, which in nearly ten years has resulted in more than 380,000 deaths and millions of refugees and has turned the country ruled by President Bashar al-Assad with an iron fist into an arena of ruin.

- 'Each case' -

Conservative Minister Horst Seehofer now hopes to conduct an assessment "at least on a case-by-case basis of criminals and people considered dangerous."

A spokeswoman for Seehofer said that the suspension of returning some Syrians, which is renewed every chapter, "cannot be implemented without exception," which angered the left, the Green Party, as well as human rights organizations.

The minister considered the matter as a message to the Syrian offenders who commit crimes or endanger state security, stating that these practices made them "lose their right to reside in Germany."

In practice, this political will collides with great obstacles. Like other Western countries, Berlin severed diplomatic relations with Damascus and therefore does not have a spokesman for it in Syria.

All the leaders of the German provinces, who are conservatives in favor of Chancellor Angela Merkel, support the replacement of this general ban.

In contrast, in the provinces governed by the Social Democrats, the idea of a minister provokes rejection.

- 'Populist' -

Thuringian Social Democratic Interior Minister Jörg Mayer denounced the "populist" Sehufer's drift.

In late October, a young Syrian, who arrived in Germany at the height of the immigration "crisis" in 2015, was arrested on suspicion of killing a German tourist in Dresden.

He had been convicted of many crimes, especially for his attempt to recruit supporters of a designated terrorist organization.

The far-right Alternative for Germany party, which has placed immigration, security and Islam at the center of its agenda, demands the resumption of deportations of Syrians to their country.

The popularity of this party increased after the influx of asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016, when it exploited for political ends several events involving immigrants.

NGOs are strongly opposed to this project. The Secretary-General of the German branch of Amnesty International, Marcus Picot, said that the Assad regime continues "to stand behind the systematic kidnapping, torture and liquidation of tens of thousands of people."