This article first appeared on our partner site, Independent Arabia
In the wake of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapse, Germany has been gripped by heated political debates over whether Syrian refugees should be encouraged to return voluntarily or face forced deportation. The situation draws parallels with the Bosnian refugee crisis following the ethnic cleansing war, where forced repatriations - particularly of children with no recollection of their parents' homeland - left deep emotional scars.
Milena Burcak, a Bosnian journalist, offers a powerful example of how war and displacement shape the lives of children. Born in Foča in 1990, her childhood was abruptly disrupted when the Bosnian civil war broke out, forcing her family to flee and seek asylum in Germany.
The Bosnian war (1992 - 1995) was marked by extensive ethnic cleansing, displacing many Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats as they were driven from their homes in search of safety.
The impact of war, genocide, and forced exile stays with Milena, as she vividly recalls how, in 1996, her family was compelled to leave Germany after the war ended. Faced with the choice of leaving voluntarily or being deported at their own expense, returning was their only option.
In October 1996, deportations from Germany to Bosnia and Herzegovina were carried out. For children who had attended school in Germany, the decision was particularly devastating. They were forced to leave their lives behind and return to a Bosnia that was still deeply scarred by the ravages of war.
Milena and her family returned to Sarajevo, but they were barred from going back to their original village. "We were refugees in our own country," she recalls.
Her bond with Germany, however, has never faded. In 2015, Milena moved to Berlin to pursue her studies, after receiving a scholarship. Today, she works with various institutions and media outlets, committed to raising awareness about the suffering of the Bosnian people - especially the scars left by genocide and racism. Her efforts are particularly focused on giving a voice to the children who were forced to return to a homeland they could no longer recognise.
In the 1990s, Germany welcomed nearly 400,000 refugees from the former Yugoslavia, most of whom came from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Once the war ended, they were asked to "leave voluntarily."
Milena’s story is just one of many, representing the countless children forced to return to their war-ravaged homeland after the conflict.
Adam feels a mix of anxiety and hope. The fall of Bashar al-Assad is "good news" for him, but the ongoing debate about refugee returns leave him feeling uneasy.
At 18, Adam is in his final year of high school, planning to pursue a degree in automotive engineering. “I see my future here in Germany,” he tells Independent Arabia. "Returning is difficult right now, especially since my Arabic isn’t very strong.”
Adam lives with his family in Frankfurt and hopes Germany will allow them to visit Syria without losing their refugee status.
Political opinions in Germany remain divided on how to address the Syrian refugee issue. Politicians from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) have called for deporting Syrian refugees or encouraging their voluntary return through financial incentives.
The AfD argues that asylum is a temporary right and that once its underlying reasons no longer exist, refugees should return to their home country. They claim this is in the refugees' best interest, as Syria is in urgent need of workers to rebuild and reconstruct the nation.
Jens Spahn, deputy leader of conservative CDU party in the German parliament, proposed chartering flights for Syrians wishing to return to their country, offering up to 1,000 euros for each individual as an incentive. In contrast, the Green Party raised concerns, warning that such measures could lead to inhumane outcomes if rushed.
Since 2020, the state of Saxony has taken a bold step by offering financial incentives worth 1,000 euros to each Syrian refugee who voluntarily decides to leave Germany. These incentives were fully state-funded. However, by 2024, only 17 out of 28,000 registered Syrians in the state chose to return.
Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) decided to suspend the processing of new asylum applications from Syria. As of now, over 47,000 asylum applications remain pending.
There are approximately one million Syrians living in Germany, with 712,000 of them classified as refugees.
Most of them are children and young people. Out of these, 206,000 were enrolled in public schools, while another 56,000 were attending vocational schools in the 2023 - 2024 academic year.
The German Federal Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that the processing of new asylum applications from Syrians is suspended until the situation in Syria becomes more stable, with priority given to applications from other countries.
Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of the Interior and Community, stated that Berlin is waiting for more clarity on the situation in Syria before making any final decisions about the status of refugees.
Tareq Alaows, a Syrian activist based in Germany, published a report on the Pro Asyl website - Germany's largest pro-immigration advocacy organisation - following his visit to Syria. In his report, he shared his insights on the country's situation after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Alaows stressed that the situation in Syria remains unstable, noting that discussions in Germany portraying Syria as "safe" for return fail to acknowledge this reality. He highlighted that the country continues to suffer from the lasting effects of the war, including widespread destruction of infrastructure, soaring inflation, and high unemployment. He also referred to growing reports of increasing religious influences, which are particularly affecting women and minorities.
Proofread by Celine Assaf
