Merz: Syrian refugees in Germany must return home

(Patria) - Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Monday that Syrian refugees in Germany must go home now that the war in their country is over or they will face deportation, AFP reported last night.

In his latest sharp comments on migration, Merz said there is "no longer any reason" for Syrians who fled the brutal thirteen-year war to seek asylum in Germany.

"Those who refuse to return to their country, of course, we can deport them," Merz said yesterday during a visit to northern Germany.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday, during a visit to Damascus, that the potential for the return of Syrians is "very limited" because the war has destroyed much of the country's infrastructure.

This statement caused dissatisfaction within Merz's and Wadephul's conservative Christian Democratic Union, which is struggling to avoid being overtaken by far-right parties on the explosive issue of migration.

Merz said he invited Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose forces overthrew long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad last year, to visit Germany to discuss "how we can solve this together".

Syria "needs all its strength, and above all Syrians, to rebuild," Merz said, adding that he is convinced that many will return of their own free will.

Around one million Syrians are in Germany, most of whom arrived in the mass exodus of 2015 and 2016.