Germany withdraws protection from hundreds of Syrians after reviewing asylum files

The German Interior Ministry announced that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has continued reviewing the files of thousands of Syrians since the beginning of the year as part of a vetting policy aimed at verifying eligibility for legal protection.

Data showed that, as of the end of November, these reviews had resulted in the revocation of residency permits and protection for more than 550 people. This included the cancellation of their constitutional refugee status, refugee status under the Geneva Convention, the lifting of subsidiary protection, and the lifting of deportation bans in some cases.

The targeted groups included individuals who had committed crimes in Germany, those considered a security threat, and Syrians who had previously visited their country of origin. In contrast, more than 16,000 people retained their protection status, while tens of thousands of applications remain under review.

The ministry clarified that visiting Syria or contacting its embassies may be taken into consideration, but it does not automatically lead to the revocation of rights, as each case is assessed individually.

October recorded a significant increase in rejected Syrian asylum applications, with 1,906 initial applications being rejected, compared to 163 rejections between January and September.

J.J