Germany tries to play down row over Syria refugee return

BERLIN

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (L) welcomes Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the Chancellery in Berlin on March 30, 2026. Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa visits Germany on Monday for talks on the Middle East war, rebuilding his country and Berlin's efforts to send back Syrian refugees. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

Germany's government on Wednesday tried to play down a row sparked by Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying he expected 80 percent of Syrians in Germany to return within three years.

On Monday, Merz welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Berlin for his first visit to Germany since ousting his country's longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.

During a joint news conference, Merz said the two men had discussed the subject of the roughly one million Syrian nationals who live in Germany, most of whom arrived as refugees during Syria's civil war.

"In the longer perspective of the next three years — this is also the wish of President Sharaa — around 80 percent of Syrians who are currently in Germany should go back to their homeland," Merz told journalists.

On Tuesday, Merz issued a statement saying that Sharaa had mentioned the number in their conversation.

However, when asked about the figure during an event at the Chatham House think tank in London Tuesday, Sharaa denied it had come from him.

On Wednesday, Merz's spokesman Stefan Kornelius failed to clarify the issue.

"I am not going to get into textual exegesis about which words were said by the chancellor and which were said by the president," he said.

"The important thing is that Syria has an interest in people returning, because it needs them... to help with reconstruction," Kornelius said.

"Germany cannot be bound by a duty of protection if the reason for this protection is no longer there," he added, referring to the fall of Assad's government.

Merz has made much use of tougher rhetoric on immigration as he tries to stem the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), currently running neck-and-neck in the polls with Merz's center-right CDU/CSU.

Syria is still struggling to emerge from the shadow of Assad's rule and the country's bloody conflict.

Since Assad's fall the country has faced continued instability and episodes of sectarian violence.