Former German Finance Minister Christian Lindner has called on Syrian refugees in Germany to return to their homeland following the sudden fall of former leader Bashar al-Assad.
“For the people who came to us from Syria because of the civil war, returning home must be the rule,” the leader of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) told dpa in Berlin.
“Those who wish to stay can apply for permanent residency under our immigration law,” he said.
Lindner said that residence in Germany should be subject to clear criteria, and not an automatic process. “The most important factors are whether the person can support himself or herself through work, whether he or she has committed crimes and whether he or she clearly identifies with our free and democratic Constitution,” he said.
“As a host society, we have the right to decide. We cannot afford immigration in our social system,” he added.
According to the German Ministry of the Interior, there are currently approximately 975,000 Syrians living in Germany, most of whom arrived after 2015 as a result of the civil war in Syria.
More than 300,000 of them enjoy subsidiary protection, a lower legal status than asylum or refugee status, which is granted on the basis of the war and not on the basis of individual persecution.
A rebel alliance led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a swift offensive earlier this month, resulting in the ouster of al-Assad, who had ruled the country for more than two decades.
HTS has now established an interim government in Damascus.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Lindner from his role as finance minister in November after months of fierce debate over the 2025 budget and economic policy, leading to the collapse of Germany’s center-left coalition.
Scholz was in a minority government with the Greens and lost a vote of confidence in parliament last week, paving the way for early elections on February 23.
Migration, long a hot topic in Europe’s largest economy, will play an important role in the campaign.
Lindner said the German government must quickly negotiate an agreement with the new leadership in Syria so that the country can take responsibility for its nationals living in Germany.
He said Germany could be an attractive partner for the Syrian leadership in rebuilding the war-torn country.
“But such a partnership must be based on reciprocity. If Germany supports Syria’s economic development, the expectation should be linked to the fact that a new Syrian leadership will ensure that Germany’s exit obligations are met after the country has stabilized. he added.
The FDP leader expressed reservations about the idea of providing financial assistance to Syrians who decide to return home, which was put forward by Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Party (CDU).
Lindner said German taxpayers have spent many billions of euros hosting Syrians in recent years. “I therefore view the financial start-up support for voluntary departure proposed by the CDU with skepticism,” he said.
