... and his predecessor, Interior Minister Dobrindt — is the subject of a campaign by Campact that we are very happy to support. The Chancellor plans to send up to 800,000 people back to Syria — to a daily reality that would be life-threatening for many of them. Violence, oppression, and a critical humanitarian situation still plague the country. With his demand, he is causing fear among Syrian families in Germany who have built a new life here. Many of them are also well integrated here thanks to their good education.

On the occasion of the state reception for the current Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa two weeks ago, Chancellor Merz argued that 80% of Syrian nationals living in Germany should leave the country. The Chancellor received as a state guest someone who, just a year ago, was on the wanted lists as an Islamist terrorist. Simply because he was able to overthrow the Assad government with Turkish help, he is now welcome, even though massacres of Alawites, Druze, Christians, and Kurds continue to be committed in Syria.

This strikes us as similar to the current events at the Afghan consulate in Bonn, where “diplomats” of the Taliban regime — against which the Federal Republic waged a 20-year war at a cost of over 37 billion euros in taxpayer money — are now permitted to interrogate Afghans facing deportation in order to provide them with the necessary exit documents. Is this the Federal Republic’s new “values-based policy”?

In any case, the Chancellor’s demand that people leave the country is causing fear among Syrian families in Germany. Merz’s demands endanger lives, fuel racism, and intensify fear among those seeking protection. Among the approximately 900,000 Syrian nationals in Germany are many people here for skilled worker, study, or language course stays, people with settlement permits, and people in the naturalization process. Chancellor Friedrich Merz is playing with rhetorical fire and fueling racist deportation narratives that are primarily intended to make people of Syrian nationality feel: You are not welcome here.

The Berlin Refugee Council is therefore calling on WeAct, Campact’s petition platform: No deportations to Syria! Join us.

Read more https://weact.campact.de/petitions/keine-abschiebungen-nach-syrien

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