A clear majority of German residents believe Syrian refugees should be allowed to remain in the country until conditions in their homeland are peaceful and stable enough to return, according to a new survey.
The survey for German public broadcaster ZDF, released on Friday, showed 64% of respondents in favour of granting Syrian refugees time to assess developments in the Middle Eastern country after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Germany is home to around 975,000 Syrians, according to Interior Ministry figures, with most arriving since 2015 as a result of the civil war that broke out in 2011.
Since an alliance of rebel fighters led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organization toppled al-Assad almost two weeks ago, a number of conservative German politicians have called for Syrian refugees to quickly return home.
However, the survey shows that only 6% of German residents believe all Syrian refugees should leave as quickly as possible, although 27% think that unemployed Syrians should do so.
The study also revealed that only 27% of respondents expect Syria to become stable and peaceful after al-Assad’s fall.
The German government’s response to the fall of al-Assad has been mixed.
Immigration authorities have paused decisions on asylum applications from Syrians amid the developing situation, but the Development Ministry on Friday warned against repatriating Syrian refugees too quickly.
In a strategy paper seen by dpa, the ministry said “speculation about the cancellation of the protected status of Syrian refugees – whether in Germany or elsewhere – is clearly premature.”
The ministry will continue its support for the countries where most Syrian refugees live “and expand it where necessary.”
In recent years, Germany has provided significant support to the approximately 5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.
The ministry also suggested that Syria’s new transitional government must now be given clear messages of support, but also of expectations.
“The current rulers in Damascus are sending signs of their willingness to lead the country into a future that allows all ethnic and religious groups in the country to participate on an equal footing,” the paper stated.
“This must not lead to naive hopes. However, it would be negligent not to do everything possible to strengthen and support the possibility of positive change,” the ministry added.
Another issue facing Germany is whether to allow Syrian refugees to temporarily visit their home country without losing their protected status.
One-third of Syrians in Germany have only subsidiary protection, a lower legal status than asylum or refugee status.
Subsidiary protection is only valid if the migrant faces serious threat in their home country.
However, the fall of al-Assad’s regime earlier this month has raised the prospect of Syrian migrants being able to return home – either permanently, or temporarily.
“These conversations are ongoing, and we hope that we can come to a decision as quickly as possible,” an Interior Ministry spokesman said.
Kaynak: DPA