Millions of Syrians fled the civil war that began in 2011, with many arriving in Germany during the 2015-2016 refugee crisis. By the end of 2024, around 1.23 million people of Syrian origin were registered in Germany.
Merz made restricting migration a central campaign issue when he ran for office in 2025 and is now seeking cooperation from Damascus to facilitate the return of Syrians without a legal right to stay in Germany. The chancellor claims the initiative will help create the conditions for economic growth in Syria and support its reconstruction efforts.
Opponents of the Syrian leader, however, criticize the German government for rolling out the red carpet for al-Sharaa, who was previously known under the pseudonym Abu Mohammad al-Julani. The United States had previously offered a $10 million reward for his arrest, until rescinding it in December 2024.
According to Berlin police, around 120 demonstrators gathered outside the chancellery office to protest the Syrian leader’s visit. German author of Yazidi origin Düzen Tekkal decided to join the protests on Monday because “al-Sharaa’s visit is strengthening Islamist structures in Germany,” adding that she wondered why someone who “brought so much suffering to Druze, Alawites, Kurds, and Christians in Syria” was invited to Berlin.
But another part of the Syrian diaspora backs al-Sharaa.
Videos on X showed supporters in Berlin chanting Allahu Akbar, Allah is great, when al-Sharaa entered a podium at his hotel; others gathered at various sites in the German capital to welcome the Syrian president’s visit, waving the national flag.