Syria's leader set to visit Berlin with deportations in focus
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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to arrive in Berlin on Tuesday for talks with German officials, as authorities aim to step up deportations of Syrians despite ongoing concerns about instability in their homeland.
Sharaa is scheduled to meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, according to the president’s office. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s office has not yet confirmed whether he will also meet Sharaa during the visit.
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Focus on repatriation of Syrians
The German government has indicated that the focus of Sharaa’s visit will be on accelerating the return of Syrians to their homeland, a priority for Merz’s conservative-led coalition since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
Roughly one million Syrians fled to Germany in recent years, many arriving in 2015-16 to escape the civil war. In November, Merz stated there was “no longer any reason” for Syrians who fled the war to remain in Germany, adding: “For those who refuse to return to their country, we can of course expel them.”
Germany carried out its first deportation of a Syrian since the civil war began in 2011 in December, flying a man convicted of crimes back to Damascus.
Criticism and legal concerns
Sharaa’s visit has drawn criticism from rights groups and Syrian community organizations in Germany. Several NGOs, including those representing Kurdish and Alawite communities, called the planned visit “totally unacceptable,” citing continued instability and ongoing persecution in Syria.
“The situation in Syria is dramatic. Civilians are being persecuted solely on the basis of their ethnic or religious affiliation,” the groups said in a joint statement. The Kurdish Community of Germany also filed a complaint with German prosecutors in November, accusing Sharaa of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.
Caution within government
There have also been voices urging caution. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in October that the potential for Syrians to return was “very limited” due to the destruction of infrastructure in Syria, though his comments drew criticism from within his own Christian Democratic Union party.
Sharaa has made frequent international trips since taking power after Assad’s ouster, including visits to the United States and France, amid the lifting of some international sanctions on Syria.
