German lawmaker warns deporting Syrians will weaken economy

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A member of the German parliament, the Bundestag, warned on Friday that deporting Syrians would damage the economy, especially the healthcare sector.

“Germany’s health sector depends on Syrians,” Lamya Kaddor, a member of the Green Party who is of Syrian origin, told Rudaw in an interview.

Syrians “form an essential segment of the workforce, especially in healthcare - doctors, nurses, care workers,” she said. “So this argument that deporting Syrians would reduce crime or somehow create more peace is nonsense. Anyone who thinks seriously knows that if Syrians leave, Germany’s economy will be severely weakened.”

Germany has ramped up deportations, sparking criticism from opposition parties over human rights concerns.

"I will say it again: the civil war in Syria is over," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in early November. "There are now no longer any grounds for asylum in Germany."

Kaddor agreed that the “war has ended, but that does not mean the country isn’t destroyed.” She described cities such as Deir ez-Zor and Homs as resembling “the end of World War II,” with entire districts still uninhabitable.

Kaddor recently returned from a visit to Syria.

She argued that forced returns would destabilize vulnerable communities and create new humanitarian risks and noted that the Syrian interim government has already received over one million people who returned voluntarily, and said that the government’s capacity is limited.

“Voluntary return is fine. Forced return is not,” she said.

Kaddor also said Kurds and other minorities must have a guaranteed place in any political settlement. “They must have a central or at least a prominent role. They are part of the country and part of Syria’s identity,” she said.

An estimated 972,000 to 975,000 Syrians were living in Germany at the end of 2023, according to the German government figures. More than 4,400 of them have expressed willingness to return to their country since the beginning of this year, Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees told Rudaw in September.


The following is the full transcript of the interview with Lamya Kaddor:

Rudaw: Those who support deportations say the Assad regime has collapsed and that Syrians should return now to rebuild their country. You were in Syria with a German delegation. Does this claim reflect realities on the ground?

Lamya Kaddor: Yes and no. Yes, in some areas of Syria the situation may now resemble what it was 20 years ago because active fighting has stopped. But cities like Deir ez-Zor or Homs, parts of Damascus, or the road between Damascus and Aleppo — if you look closely on both sides of the highway — you’ll see areas resembling Gaza, or honestly like scenes from the end of World War II. Life is impossible there. People do not live there. Only the shells of buildings remain. Those who say the war is over are right. The war has ended, but that does not mean the country isn’t destroyed. On the contrary, we now see how utterly devastated it is.

After his visit to Damascus, Germany’s Foreign Minister Wadephul said that Syria is still not a safe country. Yet you also said that in some places like Damascus or Idlib there is some relative calm. Does this mean deportations to certain areas under specific conditions could be acceptable, or do you still consider it dangerous?

The interim government of Ahmed Sharaa has taken in one million Syrians who voluntarily want to return. One million. That is a very good start. But at the same time, they stressed they have reached their capacity, not because of lack of housing, especially in Idlib. My family is from the border region near Afrin, in the Arab area close to the nearest Kurdish villages. They say: yes, you can live here. But anyone who wants a stable life for their children, anyone who wants to work, they must first see if there are jobs, if their children can actually attend school, if they can find proper housing. In my view, return must be evaluated carefully — who can return and under what conditions. Forcing people to return right now is problematic. Voluntary return is fine. Forced return is not.

Germany is actively trying to recruit skilled workers from abroad, yet at the same time there’s talk of deporting Syrians who already live and work in Germany. You oppose this. How many Bundestag members share your stance? And how do you concretely demonstrate that Syrians contribute to Germany’s economy?

I raise this openly in my political discussions. And I am not the only one in the Green Party who constantly emphasizes that we need all workers and specialists in this country. It doesn’t matter if they’re Syrian or not. But if you look closely at Syrians, they form an essential segment of the workforce, especially in healthcare — doctors, nurses, care workers. Germany’s healthcare sector depends on Syrians.

So this argument that deporting Syrians would reduce crime or somehow create more peace is nonsense. Anyone who thinks seriously knows that if Syrians leave, Germany’s economy will be severely weakened. My entire parliamentary group shares this view. You could also hear it from the party leader and the head of our parliamentary group. We always stress that this anti-Syrian rhetoric is meaningless. We hear it mostly from the far-right AfD, and that’s expected. But when a German government adviser repeats it, that is something else and it is troubling. When such ideas reach the political center, they must be taken seriously.

The official reception of Ahmed al-Sharaa in Berlin faced harsh criticism. Many say Germany should not host someone who was previously on a terror list. What is your position on this?

I share part of that concern. It’s legitimate to have doubts or suspicions. But it must also be acknowledged that most Syrians are relieved to have escaped Assad and now have Sharaa as an interim leader. We must see this in a balanced way. Yes, we must be cautious and critical. But Syria needs stabilization. I am German-Syrian. Much of my family remains in Syria and I visit every year. I have huge issues with Islamists. But if someone is making genuine efforts to move away from extremism, we must recognize that too. Even Sharaa’s critics in Syria told me: “We will give him a chance and see.” I personally believe he should at least be given an opportunity, but his actions will be judged.

If Ahmed al-Sharaa agrees to take back Syrian migrants, would that be a positive step?

The question is: if he agrees, how? They already said they reached their capacity after receiving one million voluntary returnees. How can thousands more be reintegrated without proper infrastructure? If this happens, the price will be high. Germany must be asked: what did you offer in return? Was something traded? I would be shocked if Germany said it would return criminals and dangerous individuals to Syria but then allow mass deportations of others. That’s the dangerous part, not distinguishing between criminals and ordinary people. If Syria takes back criminals, then Syria must also return German criminals who are imprisoned in Syria or Iraq. The Greens have demanded this. I’ve said loudly, if we want to get rid of criminals, then first bring back our own.

You strongly criticized the violence in Suwayda carried out by forces aligned with Sharaa. Many Kurds fear similar abuses. What must be done to prevent such attacks and ensure the protection of minorities, including Kurds?

It’s a valid question and there is no ready-made solution. But especially for Syrian Kurds — many of whom are part of my family — they still need a degree of security and autonomous administration. It should be within a national framework, but it must guarantee safety. This is realistic. Kurdish self-administration, similar to what exists in Iraq, could become a model.

On a societal level, the biggest challenge after two generations of Assad is rebuilding trust between communities. How do you dismantle the massive walls that have formed? This is the real issue. Not only controlling Islamist militias, because not all forces under Sharaa are Islamist, though some are responsible for violence, but can Shara bring society back together? Can he discipline the Islamists? Can he build trust with minority Alawites? Can he establish justice for all? Syrians want justice before anything else. Sometimes I think Syria is moving in the right direction, other times I think it’s not because without justice and equal rights, there will be no peace.

Many Kurds demand a decentralized political system and autonomous administration. What is your view? What role should Kurds play in a new Syria?

They must have a central or at least a prominent role. They are part of the country and part of Syria’s identity. Syria has always been a diverse country where people lived together with relative tolerance. I want people to reflect on this. In a future government, Kurdish ministers should be present, just like Alawites, Christians, Druze, and Yazidis, as long as they all identify as Syrian and work for the country’s benefit.

If Syria becomes a religious state or one influenced by Islamist ideology, then it must guarantee rights and freedoms for all beliefs. That is a serious challenge and I am not sure if such a system would succeed.

Thank you very much for your time, Ms. Kaddor.

Thank you.