On March 20, just days before Friedrich Merz and interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Shaara were to raise the issue of repatriating hundreds of thousands of Syrians, Basel Gavish received a letter from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
It was the letter the 31-year-old Syrian had always feared: It said his asylum application had been rejected, that he was not eligible for subsidiary protection status and that he must leave Germany within 30 days.
“I was completely shocked and devastated,” Gavish told DW. “I was kidnapped in Syria and fled to several countries. I never thought my asylum application would be rejected.” Their last hope was to file an appeal at the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, Germany, the equivalent of the US Supreme Court.
Having spent only two years in Germany, Gavish speaks almost perfect German. He is a licensed dentist currently working as an apprentice to an oral surgeon in the small southern town of Buhl, who hopes to hire him after his internship. He also works as a translator in Arabic, English and Turkish for several charitable organizations, including the German Red Cross and even the Federal Police.
He said, “This is my country. I speak this language.” “I want to stay. Two years ago, Germany gave me a roof over my head and supported me. I have a lot of respect for it and I want to give something back to the country.”
‘Grannys Against the Right’ protest Gavish’s deportation
Gavish is supported by a group called “Grannys Against the Right”, a citizens’ initiative that launched its “Basel Must Stay!” Nearly 30,000 signatures have been collected for. Petition to stop his deportation. Nadja Glatt, who started the petition, told DW that the goal is to double that number.
“There is a shortage of dental professionals in Germany,” he said. “There is no point in deporting people like this. This is complete madness and recklessness. From the very beginning, the Basel Gavisch have done everything they can to integrate into German society. Their only wish is to be allowed to settle here and work as dentists or oral surgeons.”
German government wants more Syrians to return
Does this mean that Gawish is one of the 80% of Syrians that Germany wants to see return to Syria in the next three years? That figure was mentioned in a press conference held by Merz and al-Shara in late March. After significant criticism, both leaders have attempted to distance themselves from that figure – rather bizarrely, both have since said the other had put forward this target during their meeting in Berlin.
But one thing is clear: Germany’s ruling coalition of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) aims to encourage a large number of the approximately 950,000 Syrians currently in Germany to return home. A recent proposal by Hesse state Interior Minister Roman Posek (CDU) – who also suggested repatriation by ship – is in line with this goal.
Marie Walter-Frank of the German Council for Integration and Migration (SVR) said, “Deporting people who are well integrated and easy to track – for example, to their workplace – is not necessarily what you want to do, but it is the easiest to implement.”
“People who do everything right – who are registered, who have a job and who even have children in school – naturally leave behind a huge administrative paperwork,” he told DW. “We know where they live, where they go every day and so it’s easier to get a hold of them.”
Shortage of skilled workers: People come, but often don’t stay
Walter-Frank specializes in the naturalization and integration of refugees. As part of a research project, he has conducted interviews with dozens of Syrian refugees over the past few years, including those who arrived only after the fall of the Assad regime in 2024.
Because of the unstable situation in Syria and the severe lack of resources, no one wants to return – in fact, quite the contrary, said Walter-Frank. Meanwhile, Meraz has insisted that most Syrians would like to return and rebuild their homeland.
Migration experts are highly critical of the latest debate on Syria. “What bothers me is the underlying message that essentially tells all foreigners, ‘You are not welcome here.'” She acknowledges that Germany has made significant progress in terms of migration policies, including training programs for skilled workers abroad and initiatives to recruit individuals for study and employment.
“But we have a big problem in keeping people here for a long time,” he said. “Statements that focus only on repatriation and deportation do not make things better.”
Young Syrians as a potential workforce
Walter-Frank believes Germany needs more staff in immigration offices and courts, so that Syrians do not have to wait as long for residence permits and can join the workforce. She also supports the right of Syrians to travel to their homeland without jeopardizing their residence status in Germany.
There should also be clearly defined opportunities for businesses and refugees, she says, to make it possible to stay in the country and find employment after completing training, as was the case with Gavish and her oral surgeon. Most importantly, the government must recognize the great potential brought by Syrian immigration.
“We must also not forget that one third of Syrians currently living in Germany are minors enrolled in school,” he added. “This amounts to more than 200,000 people who will be ready to enter the labor market in the coming years. These individuals speak fluent German, grew up here and will not face the same barriers as their parents when it comes to language, qualifications and recognition of those qualifications.”
This article was translated from German.