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Friedrich Merz targets return of 8 million Syrians to Syria in three years
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Updated 3h ago |
Created 8h ago
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met Syrian president Faïkal al-Israraj on March 30, following which Federal Interior Ministry spokesman Friedrich Merz announced a goal for the return of approximately eight million Syrians to their homeland within three years. This proposal represents an ambitious policy shift aimed at addressing Syria's refugee crisis by encouraging voluntary repatriation rather than continued asylum processing in Germany or other European countries.
Key Points
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1German Chancellor Friedrich Merz aims to return approximately one million Syrian refugees from Germany back home within three years.
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2Merz plans for this repatriation process, which would involve about eight hundred thousand individuals (80% of the displaced population), by March or April 2034 at its latest. The goal is not a forced evacuation but to help Syrians return voluntarily with their belongings and support from Germany's development aid.
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3Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited Berlin on Wednesday, where he expressed understanding for Merz’s proposal while noting that the process will take time rather than happen quickly.
Developments
[Mar] Mar.30
President Assad visits Germany; Chancellor Friedrich Merz announces his plan to return approximately one million Syrian refugees from German soil back home within three years, with the process potentially concluding by March or April of 2034.
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Deutschlandfunk.de
7h ago