Germany reviews 16,000+ Syrian asylum cases one year after Assad
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – German authorities announced on Wednesday that they completed 16,737 review procedures of Syrian asylum protections in 2025, revoking status in 552 cases, as Berlin tightens migration policy one year after the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, .
Germany is reviewing thousands of protection statuses held by Syrian refugees, with official figures showing that 16,737 review procedures were completed by the end of November 2025, amid a broader shift toward stricter migration and deportation policies.
The Federal Interior Ministry said the reviews are being carried out by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in cases where the situation in Syria is deemed sufficiently clear.
The reassessments primarily target individuals convicted of serious crimes, those classified as security threats, and Syrians who have voluntarily returned to the country after receiving protection.
According to BAMF data, protection was revoked in 552 of the reviewed cases. These included six withdrawals of constitutional asylum, 268 revocations of refugee status under the Geneva Refugee Convention, 184 cases of subsidiary protection, and 94 deportation bans.
In more than 16,000 cases, protection status remained unchanged, while an additional 20,428 reviews are still pending.
The figures indicate that, despite intensified political debate in Germany over Syria’s post-Assad security landscape, authorities continue to regard the country as unsafe for return in the vast majority of cases involving Syrian nationals.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said deportations have increased “significantly” this year. Between January and October 2025, Germany deported around 19,538 people, roughly 20 percent more than during the same period in 2024 and substantially higher than in 2023, according to Interior Ministry data cited by German media.
In parallel, Germany is expanding the use of third-country deportations. Under recently amended rules, rejected asylum seekers may be sent to countries with which they have no prior personal ties, easing restrictions that previously limited such measures.