Figures from the Interior Ministry show that by the end of August, only 1,867 Syrians had gone back to their country. Officials from the CDU party are calling for more incentives to make more Syrians want to return to their motherland.
When the Assad regime collapsed last December, it marked the end of more than a decade of civil war and dictatorship. For many Syrian refugees, it raised a cautious but optimistic hope that peace might finally allow them to return to the homeland they once fled.
However, some nine months after the regime change, only a small number of Syrians in Germany have chosen to return home.
Figures from the German Interior Ministry show that by the end of August, 1,867 Syrians had gone back with federal assistance. The number marked an increase from the 804 returnees in May. When compared to the nearly one million Syrians who remain in Germany, the number of returnees is very low. It is, however, important to note that in addition to the federal return program, there are also return programs by individual states, which are not reflected in the total. Syrians who have returned voluntarily without claiming assistance are also not included.
Data from Germany's Central Register of Foreigners (Ausländerzentralregister, AZR) indicates that around 955,000 Syrians are living in Germany as of July 2025, about 20,000 fewer than at the start of the year.
However, the Federal Statistical Office counted only 1,562 official return departures to Syria in the first five months of the year. However, not everyone who leaves the country registers their departure with the authorities, which may lead to delays in the registry's update.
Meanwhile, neighboring countries like Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq continue to account for the majority of voluntary returns.
Read Also'I want to be part of the change happening in my country' – Why Syrians are choosing to return
What will they return to?
Humanitarian groups have reported that the low rate of returns can be explained by the conditions inside Syria itself, the German news agency dpa reported.
While the capital of Damascus is reportedly stable, 14 years of civil war have ravaged many other regions of the country, leaving it heavily damaged or littered with unexploded munitions. All that remains of houses in rebel strongholds is rubble.
Families who want to return are also confronted with a difficult question: what will they have to return to?
Janine Lietmeyer of World Vision Germany visited Syria in August and told dpa that the stark contrast of limited normality in some places and extreme hardship elsewhere makes the decision to return a deeply complex one for refugees. In addition, political and human rights concerns continue to cast doubt on security.
Read AlsoShould I stay or should I go? Syrians in Germany suffer uncertainty from all directions
Germany’s role and citizenship pathways
Under former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany played a central role in hosting Syrians since the height of the refugee crisis in 2015–2016. Germany admitted more asylum seekers than any other European country. Today, Syrians remain the largest refugee group in Germany, with nearly a million residents.
Close to 10 years after Germany welcomed hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing war, many are no longer temporary visitors. Last year, roughly 83,150 Syrians became German citizens.
Meanwhile, although the number of asylum claims by Syrian nationals has decreased sharply, the arrivals have not stopped altogether. Between January and August 2025, more than 17,000 new Syrian asylum claims were filed. The previous year, there were an estimated 76,765 asylum applications.
Figures from the start of this year estimate over 51,000 Syrian asylum applications still awaiting review.
Read AlsoSyrians in Germany: Facts, figures and data
More incentives to return
Meanwhile, lawmakers from current Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are calling for more to be done to promote voluntary departures, making returning to Syria a more attractive prospect than staying in Germany.
"The economic incentive to stay here must not be greater than the interest in contributing to the reconstruction of the country," Marc Henrichmann, CDU interior politician and head of the Parliamentary Control Committee in the Bundestag, told the German tabloid Bild.
"We must help stabilize the situation on the ground and cooperate on security issues," Henrichmann said about increasing the number of voluntary departures. "But to do this, we must also be able to tell people with a clear conscience: You can leave," he said.