‘It’s a breach of trust’: fear and frustration over countries’ push to return Syrians home

Tears of joy streamed down Abdulhkeem Alshater’s face as he joined thousands of fellow Syrians in central Vienna last year. They were celebrating what many considered impossible: the collapse of the Assad regime after more than fifty years of repression.
But within a day, the consequences of the political shift in Syria began to spread across Europe. A dozen European countries announced plans to suspend asylum applications from Syrians, reflecting a growing tendency among western governments to treat refugees as temporary guests. As the fall of Bashar al Assad collided with political pressure to appear tough on migration, Syrians living abroad were thrown into uncertainty.
In Austria, where Alshater had spent ten years building a new life, authorities ordered a review of asylum cases involving Syrians and began preparations for “orderly repatriation and deportation”. Alshater, who leads the Free Syrian Community of Austria, said the decision felt like a betrayal of those who had worked hard to integrate.
“It’s alarming and disappointing. It’s a breach of trust, especially for those who have already built a life here,” he said.
Alshater was among dozens of Syrians who volunteered in Kritzendorf in September 2024 after severe floods hit the town. For many, the gesture was a way to show their gratitude and counter far-right claims about migrants. Months later, Austria suspended family reunification for refugees and, in July, became the first EU state to return a Syrian with a criminal conviction to the country following Assad’s fall.
He said the moves had caused “significant fear” among Austria’s nearly 100,000 Syrians, with many now struggling with anxiety and depression.
In Germany, home to Europe’s largest Syrian population, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he expected many of the almost one million Syrians living there to return home voluntarily. “There are now no longer any grounds for asylum,” he said, adding that deportations could begin soon for those who refused to leave. His stance has caused tension with employers and unions who argue that Syrians are essential to easing Germany’s labour shortages, as well as with his own foreign minister.
A study by the German Economic Institute found that around 80,000 Syrians are working in sectors facing staffing crises, including thousands of technicians, dental staff, childcare workers and medical carers. More than 5,000 Syrian doctors are fully employed in Germany, and experts warn their departure could cause critical gaps in healthcare.
The threat of being sent back dominates conversations among Syrians, said Anas Alakkad, a refugee who runs a company helping migrants enter the job market. “They are afraid they will get deported,” he said. Many are now questioning whether it is worth investing in language lessons, jobs or businesses.
In the United States, more than 6,000 Syrians faced losing temporary deportation protections until a federal judge blocked the move last month. The uncertainty reflects concerns voiced by Syrians worldwide.
Syrian activist Ahed Festuk, now living in the US, said the fall of Assad brought mixed feelings. “It’s true that we got our home back, but we shouldn’t ignore that our home has been destroyed,” she said. A World Bank report this year estimated reconstruction costs at over 200 billion dollars. Festuk visited the country in June and described severe shortages of infrastructure and basic services, alongside ongoing outbreaks of violence.
Despite this, a UN survey found that more than 80 percent of Syrian refugees hope to return one day, and more than one million have already gone back in the past year. Festuk said people must be given the freedom to make the decision themselves. “It’s still too early to force people,” she said.
In Turkey, which hosted about four million Syrians during the war, nearly half a million returned home last year. Migration expert M Murat Erdogan said these returns had so far been voluntary, but warned it would not be easy for many Syrians who have built businesses, careers and family lives in Turkey.
The debate over returns has also overshadowed successes in integration. In the small German town of Ostelsheim, Ryyan Alshebl, who arrived in Germany as a refugee eight years earlier, was elected mayor in 2023. He says his experience shows what many Syrians have achieved, even as far-right groups increasingly fuel anti-refugee sentiment.
Alshebl criticised what he called a “dangerous” expectation created by Berlin that Syrians would soon return. If the government fails to follow through, he warned, it could drive voters toward extremist parties and open the door for forced removals.
He called for a balanced approach, saying Syrians who have integrated into society and the workforce should be allowed to stay, while those who remain dependent on state support should be told clearly they cannot.
“It is not an act of benevolence for Germany to let integrated Syrians stay. Germany needs these people,” he said. “But those who have not gained a foothold must also be told the truth. That is a legitimate deal.”