30.03.2026: Press conference – Berlin

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz received the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed al-Sharaa, at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin.

During the joint press conference, a journalist directed a two-part question to both. Addressing Ahmed al-Sharaa, he asked whether Syria would encourage refugees in Germany to return. He then pressed Friedrich Merz on how many of the roughly 900,000 Syrians under protection Germany plans to repatriate – and on what timeline.

Al-Sharaa’s response was notably brief, avoiding any clear answer. He expressed gratitude toward the German public for hosting large numbers of Syrians during the years of war, framing Germany’s role as a humanitarian anchor in a period of state collapse.

Merz’s statement was striking in its clarity. He announced that, over the course of the next three years, Germany intends to facilitate the return of up to 80 percent of Syrian nationals currently residing in the country under protection status. Crucially, he added that this objective had been discussed with the Syrian president, thereby framing the policy as a coordinated bilateral effort.

He concluded with a broader political assertion: that the Syrian civil war had come to an end, and that both governments would now take joint action to initiate a structured return process.

31.03.2026: Chatham House – London

One day later Ahmed al-Sharaa appeared in London as a guest of Chatham House, where he took part in a public discussion hosted by Bronwen Maddox.

She confronted him with the statement made alongside Friedrich Merz just 24 hours earlier regarding the repatriation of Syrian nationals from Germany. How exactly is the Syrian........

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