Explainer 511: Why is Germany telling Syrians to return home?
From The Foreign Desk by Monocle
April 1, 2026 · 7 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the recent encouragement by German leaders for Syrians to return home and the implications of this plan.
At a joint press conference this week, chancellor Friedrich Merz and president Ahmed al-Sharaa encouraged Syrians to return home. But who benefits from the plan? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Topics covered
- Germany
- Syria
- refugees
- government policy
- return migration
Keywords
- Germany
- Syria
- refugees
- Friedrich Merz
- Ahmed al-Sharaa
- return home
- government policy
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Germany, Syria
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