Another week, another reminder that the German government’s rhetoric on migration rarely matches reality.
Friedrich Merz was clearly hoping to claw back some support from the anti-migration AfD when he said on Monday that he expected 80% of Syrians in Germany to return home within three years. The only problem is that the figure is disputed—and rapidly unravelling.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the chancellor said Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa had mentioned the figure—which would amount to hundreds of thousands of migrants—during their conversation. Sharaa later denied this during an event in London. By Wednesday, Merz’s team was trying to downplay the ‘commitment’ altogether, refusing to “get into textual exegesis about which words were said by the chancellor and which were said by the president.”
And on Wednesday evening, Syria was much clearer that returns at this scale will not take place.
Syrian foreign minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani “reaffirmed once again” in a post on X:
Syrians in exile are strategic national assets, not burdens.
Al-Shaibani added that while work was being done “to prepare the infrastructure” for some Syrians to return home, “we categorically reject any attempts at forced deportation.”
The AfD said this was akin to Syria “dictating migration policy to the [German] federal government,” and jibed that Merz’s CDU is bound to “dutifully follow the instructions.”
Party co-chair Alice Weidel added that “the governmental chaos of the past few days makes it clear: Merz will comply with this demand.” She stressed that “a real deportation offensive” will never take place under the establishment parties.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
