German chancellor Friedrich Merz and Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa at a press conference in Berlin this week. The Syrian president said the '80 per cent' was mentioned by Merz. “It is not about a number but the [return] project as such.”Of the 944,000 Syrian citizens in Germany, 663,000 have temporary, war-related residency permits. Around 250,000 Syrians have already acquired German citizenship in the past decade while official figures suggest around 3,700 Syrians returned home last year. Many in the chancellor’s party doubt that loud talk of deportations will impress – and win back – voters who have turned to the anti-immigration, anti-Islam Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Source: The Irish Times April 03, 2026 07:04 UTC