The Karlsruhe Administrative Court ruled in favor of deporting people convicted of crimes. A Syrian man convicted of attempted manslaughter and dangerous bodily harm failed in his lawsuit against expulsion from Germany.

In its ruling published on Wednesday (April 22), the court found that there was a "particularly serious public interest in expulsion." The risk of further offenses being committed, and thus the risk to public safety, outweighed the man’s interest in remaining in the country. The court stated that the ruling was intended to have a deterrent effect by making it clear that foreign nationals who commit similar violent offenses face deportation.

The Syrian man came to Germany in 2015 at the age of eleven with his parents and siblings. He was recognized as a refugee and received a temporary residence permit. In 2024, the Karlsruhe Regional Court sentenced him to a multi-year youth custody term for attempted manslaughter and dangerous bodily harm. After spending time in prison, he is now in a rehabilitation clinic for addiction treatment, as he had been drug-dependent.

However, the ruling is not yet final, and deportation in this case is not currently possible. Before the man could be removed to Syria, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) would first have to revoke the protection status or other legal barrier preventing his deportation. The Administrative Court said, however, that there were signs such a step could be forthcoming.

And it may not only be convicted criminals who could face deportation. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sparked controversy by suggesting that 80 percent of Syrians in Germany could return to Syria, raising fears that well-integrated and much-needed workers may also be affected. Official figures on Syrian nationals do not tell the whole story, because many Syrians have already been naturalized as German citizens and no longer appear in foreigner statistics.

Returns to Syria

Germany did not deport anyone to Syria between 2012 and 2025. That changed in December 2025, when a convicted offender was deported for the first time since the start of the Syrian civil war, followed by three further deportations of convicted offenders in January 2026.

At the same time, many Syrians in Germany remain in a legally uncertain position. As of February 2026, 10,718 Syrians were officially required to leave the country, according to BAMF, but 9,787 of them held a "Duldung," or tolerated status, allowing them to stay temporarily because deportation was not possible.

The tougher debate over returns has also raised concern that it may not remain limited to convicted criminals. Critics point to cases such as that of Syrian dentist Basel Gawish, whose asylum claim was rejected despite his strong German skills, employment, and community involvement, arguing that an aggressive repatriation policy risks targeting well-integrated people whom Germany also needs.

That concern is reinforced by Syrians' growing role in sectors experiencing employment shortages. By late 2024, around 287,000 Syrian citizens were employed in Germany, including 236,000 in jobs subject to social security contributions, while roughly 80,000 worked in occupations facing labor shortages. In healthcare alone, around 6,000 Syrian doctors are reported to be working in Germany, making them the largest group of foreign doctors in the country.

Meanwhile, Syria’s security situation remains highly unstable. International reports continue to describe dramatic living conditions and serious human rights concerns, especially for vulnerable groups such as women and children, while clashes between rival armed groups continue to erupt in different parts of the country.

Alongside the debate over deportations, Germany has also expanded assisted voluntary return. Around 6,500 Syrian nationals left Germany voluntarily between January and November 2025. Since January 2025, Syrians have been eligible to return under the federal-state REAG/GARP program, which covers travel costs, small travel allowances, start-up assistance, and, where necessary, medical costs. Voluntary returns have also been supported by state-level authorities since 2017.

Read AlsoGermany relies on Syrian workers amid return debates

With KNA