German migration policy came under renewed fire after the right-wing opposition AfD sharply criticised large gatherings of Syrians celebrating the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime—not in Damascus, but on the streets of German cities.
As many critics have pointed out: the scenes are evidence that Germany’s approach to asylum and integration has fundamentally failed.
“10,000 Syrians celebrate in Essen … Why not celebrate in Damascus and rebuild the homeland? It is time for a consistent U-turn on migration,” the party wrote on X.
10.000 Syrer feiern in Essen den Jahrestag des Sturzes von Assad – laute Autokorsos, blockierte Straßen, viel Polizei. Warum nicht in Damaskus feiern und die Heimat wiederaufbauen? Es ist Zeit für eine konsequente Migrationswende. pic.twitter.com/amfOSzR0r0
“Assad’s regime is gone,” and Germany must finally launch “a consistent repatriation policy,” the party argued.
The criticism came after tens of thousands of Syrians took part in marches and assemblies in Berlin, Essen, Leipzig, and smaller cities.
The largest event occurred in Essen, where police counted around 10,000 participants—far exceeding the 2,500 originally registered. Though police described the gathering as “largely peaceful,” a knife attack at Essen’s main station shortly afterwards left one man injured.
In Berlin, approximately 2,000 marchers followed a route from Alexanderplatz to Pariser Platz under the slogan “The Joy of Liberation.” Leipzig also saw traffic disruptions linked to a similarly themed demonstration.
Right-wing parties across Europe seized upon the images.
Belgian Vlaams Belang MP Sam van Rooy quipped: “This was a perfect opportunity to send them all back to Syria.”
Conservative publication Tichys Einblickargued that it was absurd that Syrians were celebrating political change in their homeland in German Christmas markets instead of returning to help rebuild Syria, noting that while there are almost one million Syrians residing in Germany, only a tiny fraction of them has made use of voluntary return schemes.
Germany’s ruling centre-right alliance echoed some of these concerns.
CDU/CSU MP Alexander Throm said the reasons for Syrians flocking to Germany “are gone” and argued that the country must now consider returning those who are “not well integrated” or recently arrived. He criticised what he described as “hundreds of thousands” of Syrians receiving welfare benefits despite lacking the need for protection.
The debate will likely gain further momentum following the publication of new figures from the Federal Criminal Police Office which once again reveal how migrants are starkly overrepresented in crime statistics.
According to the report, 1,740 Syrians per 100,000 residents and 1,722 Afghans were registered as suspects, compared with 163 per 100,000 Germans. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt responded by announcing preparations for deporting criminal offenders and security risks to Syria and Afghanistan.
While the CDU/CSU’s coalition partners, the Social Democrats, have cautioned that the destruction in Syria still makes many returns unsafe, the fact remains that the scenes of jubilation have become a symbol of a migration strategy that is no longer defensible.
Zoltán Kottász is a journalist for europeanconservative.com, based in Budapest. He worked for many years as a journalist and as the editor of the foreign desk at the Hungarian daily, Magyar Nemzet. He focuses primarily on European politics.
