Germany revokes protection for more Syrian refugees

The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees announced today an increase in the number of Syrians having their protection status revoked.

According to the German government's response to an inquiry from the Left Party’s parliamentary group, 23.2 percent of the 8,320 review cases conducted during the first half of this year resulted in the cancellation or revocation of protection status.

In most instances, this involved the withdrawal of refugee status or so-called "subsidiary protection."

For comparison, only 3.7 percent of Syrian refugees lost their protection status following a similar review process in 2025, compared to 3.1 percent in 2024.

Cancellation of protection status occurs when the conditions upon which the protection was granted no longer apply—particularly following a fundamental change in conditions within the country of origin. Revocation, on the other hand, occurs less frequently and arises when it is subsequently revealed that an individual provided false information regarding their background or reasons for fleeing during the asylum process.

Following the fall of the Baathist regime in Syria in late 2024, hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees returned to the country, particularly from Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.

The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees had initially limited its reviews regarding the revocation of protection status to cases involving criminal offenders, individuals classified as security threats, and instances where authorities were aware of the person having returned to Syria.

As Berlin explained in its response, "in light of the improving humanitarian situation in Syria, the Office began—starting in mid-June—to gradually expand the scope of protection revocation proceedings to include the same groups of people whose asylum applications had previously been prioritized for processing."

According to the data, these groups include individuals whose asylum proceedings have been pending for more than 21 months; cases where an administrative court has ordered the Office to issue a decision following a successful lawsuit regarding a failure to act; and individuals who do not require special protection—specifically those presumed capable of independently securing their livelihood in Syria, or those for whom a family network or social circle ensures adequate care.

Sh-S

ANHA