Following the fall of dictator Bashar Assad on December 8, Germany immediately announced a freeze on asylum applications from Syrian citizens.
Just 36 hours after Syrian rebels announced they had liberated the capital, Damascus, the German government suspended decisions on more than 47,000 pending asylum claims from Syrians. Within hours, France, Britain, Italy and many other countries followed suit.
The decision heightened anxiety among the more than 1.5 million Syrians who have settled in Europe since the civil war began in 2011.
Particularly worrying were the comments of Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, who instructed his ministry to prepare a program for “systematic repatriation and deportation”. German politicians have also made similar calls.
European governments appear to be taking advantage of the moment Assad is out of power to address growing public unease over high migration rates.
Even before the break was announced, there were more than 108,000 asylum cases of Syrians pending in EU states at the end of October. According to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUA),
The swift decisions were a sharp contrast to the welcoming attitude seen at the height of the European migration crisis of 2015/16. At that time, the Germans welcomed Syrian refugees with water bottles and food at railway stations.
No quick solution to Syria’s turmoil
The announcements were even more troubling given the ongoing chaos in Syria, where the leading rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is struggling to establish a caretaker government.
Complicating the situation was the apparent reversal of the main reason why Europe wanted to welcome Syrian citizens. In addition to addressing humanitarian needs, politicians argued at the time that Syrians would help alleviate critical labor market shortages.
Anastasia’saratzasThe EU has recently stepped up efforts to return more refugees to their home countries before Assad is ousted, despite huge demand for more workers, said a policy analyst at the Brussels-based European Policy Center (EPC) think tank. .
“There is an urgent need to address labor shortages across the EU, as well as address labor exploitation, particularly the exploitation of irregular migrant workers. But there is a risk now that prioritizing [refugee] Returns may outweigh these other priorities,” Karatzas Told DW.
Syrian unification ‘better than expected’
Integrating such a large number of refugees – 972,000 Syrians in Germany’s case – in such a short period of time was certainly challenging. However, Philipp Jaeschke, a labor market researcher based in Nuremberg Employment Research Institute (IAB), “Thinks of Germany’s efforts”Work excess better than expected.”
,[The refugees] Suddenly left Syria. Many of them had traumatic experiences while fleeing. When they arrived, they were largely unprepared for the German labor market, and there were many institutional barriers,” Jaschke told DW.
Those barriers include long delays in asylum decisions, learning German, completing studies and obtaining recognized qualifications before entering the workforce, which can take years. Meanwhile, refugees’ job prospects are often limited to low-skilled positions.
IAB survey shows that back home, more than 90% of Syrians worked in obusinesses that need vocational training or university degree in germany, When they arrived in Germany, about a third initially worked at a low level-Skilled jobs. Six years later, a quarter of them were still in these roles.
Unemployment rate is high for many reasons
As of September 2024, approximately 287,000 Syrians were employed in Germany IAB report Published on 13 December. Their average employment rate has declined because a large number of people have arrived recently and are still in the early stages of the integration process.
However, the longer refugees stay in Germany, the greater their chances of finding a job. The IAB found that about 61% of Syrian refugees were employed seven years after their arrival.
Although the 37% official unemployment rate for Syrians is far higher than Germany’s national unemployment rate of 5.9% in November, cultural and other factors have played a significant role. There are no more Syrian women in the workforce than men. Many perform traditional family roles at home and are less likely to have prior work experience. They are also more likely to become mothers of young children.
of EPCaratzas Said discrimination and “Persistent difficulties with recognition of skills and qualifications” were other issues, referring to Europe as a whole.
Syrians fill major voids in the labor market
In Germany, about 30% Women refugees work in social and cultural service sectors, including education and child care. One in 10 works in retail. More than a fifth of male refugees work in logistics or manufacturing. According to the IAB, Syrians also have a meaningful presence in the hospitality, health care and construction sectors.
“There is a severe labor shortage in these areas,” Jaschke said. High demand for workers and comparatively low labor supply. ,So, if these people left, Germany would actually lose.”
As to how many would now want to return, a recent IAB-led survey found that more than 90% of Syrian-origin refugees who entered Germany between 2013 and 2019 said they wanted to stay permanently . However, this may change as a result of the latest developments in Syria.
“About 40% have lived here since 2015 or moreThey are earning a living here, have built social networks, many have brought their families here, so there is a possibility many Will stay,” Jaske told DW.
Is it too early to talk about repatriation?
Those who have not integrated into Europe or failed to find work in a reasonable time may be forced to return or may wish to return. Many others may be interested in helping rebuild the Syrian economy after its nearly 14-year-long civil war. German conservative lawmaker Jens Spahn recently told broadcaster N-TV that they should be offered government aid to return, calling for relocation bonuses of €1,000 ($1,055) per person and the use of government-chartered planes.
As debate over the issue continues, Frank Wernecke has warned against a large-scale repatriation effort. The head of the German service union Vardi hopes the minister will “look at the situation with a cool head.”
In an interview with German news agency dpa, Wernecke said it was important that Syria’s transitional government first create “the most democratic conditions possible” while taking into account the needs of the country’s many ethnic and religious groups.
At the European level,Aratza is concerned that anti-migrant sentiment could trigger a sharp reaction from many EU states and warned against making hasty decisions.
“There is a need to make policies to ensure that returns are processed in a streamlined manner based on evidence and data about them.” [refugees] Contribution [to the labor market],
Edited by: Uwe Hessler
