German Foreign Minister Raises Issue of Refugee Return During Visit to Syria

(Patria) - German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul discussed the possible return of Syrian refugees with President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a visit to Damascus on Thursday.

Germany has a large Syrian community, with hundreds of thousands of people having settled there after fleeing the war.

Wadephul said it was "in the understandable interest of the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of as many Syrians as possible," Al Arabiya reported. However, this is currently "only possible to a very limited extent, as a large part of the infrastructure in this country has been destroyed," he added.

"We will bid farewell with tears to anyone who wants to return to Syria. But we will understand that perfectly well."

While the German government is seeking to curb migration to contain the rise of the far-right
Alternative for Germany (AfD), its leaders have sought to resume deportations to Syria. But
Wadephul said this only applies to "very few exceptional cases of really serious criminals".

Wadephul said Germany has a "special obligation" to help with reconstruction in Syria.
He promised that Berlin would "work in a very practical way to ensure that German companies can do business here".

According to the United Nations, one million Syrian refugees have returned from abroad since the fall of
Bashar al-Assad late last year.

Al-Sharaa and Wadephul discussed bilateral relations "as well as ways to improve cooperation in the political, economic and humanitarian fields," according to Damascus.

This was Wadephul's first trip to Syria, and his predecessor Annalena Baerbock visited Syria twice, most recently in March to reopen the German embassy in Damascus.

As part of his visit, Wadephul toured Harasta, a settlement in Damascus that was heavily bombed by the al-Assad regime. He said the scenes "reminded him of the images we saw from Germany in 1945 after World War II".

Syria has been governed by a new government since the overthrow of al-Assad in December. Its relations with the West have thawed, the United States has lifted sanctions, and European governments have developed closer ties.

"We want the positive path that this nation has embarked on to be successful," Wadephul said,
calling on the government to "guarantee all citizens a dignified and safe life".