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Germany Signals Possible Revocation of Protection for Thousands of Syrians
The German newspaper *Bild* reported that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has begun sending 16-page letters to thousands of Syrian refugees, informing them that their previously granted refugee status may be revoked, that they will not be granted subsidiary protection, and that there are no legal barriers to deporting them under Germany’s Residence Act.
According to the newspaper, the letters were sent to Syrians who had committed offenses recorded by the police, as well as to people who had left Germany briefly and then returned.
The report says BAMF bases its assessment on the view that the civil war in Syria ended with the fall of the Assad regime, making return to the country possible and acceptable. In its letters, the agency estimated the likelihood of returnees facing a life-threatening risk at around 0.017 percent.
Despite shortages of food and housing in Syria, rising living costs, and an unreliable electricity supply, the agency concluded that the country was not experiencing a state of existential hardship. It estimated that a family of five would need €554 a month to cover expenses outside the capital.
The decisions do not mean that those affected will be deported immediately; they have the right to appeal them before the administrative courts. *Bild* quoted immigration lawyer Philipp Breu as saying that proceedings to revoke protection for Syrians had increased sharply in recent weeks, adding that this points to a potential wave of lawsuits before the administrative courts.
