Syrians returning home in large numbers, but few from Germany

Around 1.6 million Syrian refugees have returned home since the political transition at the end of 2024, most of them from neighbouring countries, according to figures from the UNHCR, the UN's refugee body.

The figures, cited by Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper and reported on Saturday, show that 634,000 have returned from Turkey, 621,000 from Lebanon and 284,000 from Jordan.

According to figures from Germany's BAMF migration office in February, last year 3,678 Syrian refugees returned home last year of the more than 900,000 currently resident in Germany.

The number of Syrians seeking protection in Germany has fallen rapidly since the ousting of the Assad dynasty's 50-year dictatorship in December 2024.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose HTS group ousted the Assad regime, has sought rapprochement with the West.

The German government has made clear that it no longer sees reason to offer protection to Syrian refugees, but has not launched forced repatriation amid a debate within Germany over conditions in Syria.

Opposition parties advocate allowing Syrian refugees to return to their home country temporarily to assess conditions, but under current law they risk losing protected status if they do go home temporarily.

Germany also offers up to around €1,000 ($1,170) to adult returnees in financial assistance.