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“We can do this” – this is the famous statement of the former German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the press conference on August 31, 2015 became the flagship of the German asylum policy. On the occasion of the war in Syria, hundreds of thousands of Syrian persons looking for asylum arrived in Germany in 2015 and 2016. Many of them on the so -called Balkan road.
On July 31, 2025, 954 938 Syrian citizens lived in Germany, as the Federal Agency for Migration and refugees (BAMF) told EURONEWS. Many of them managed to integrate. Nevertheless, several consistent attacks, including in Sollingen, caused a serious debate about the policy of immigration and shelter and security situations in Germany.
According to crime statistics, in 2024 the police determined 114,889 Syrian suspects.
In this context, the question arises of repatriation of Syrian citizens, especially those who committed criminal offenses. With the fall of the Assad regime, the debate became a new urgent character. But what does the possible immigration of many Syrians in Germany mean outside the statistics of crime?
Discussion based on elements and numbers
On December 31, 2024, 975,060 people with Syrian citizenship lived in Germany. Of these, 584 990 were men and 390 070 women. Syrians are the main nationality in protective statements. From January to August 2025, 17,650 Syrian citizens applied for asylum. In 2024, according to BAMF, it was 76,765.
People whose use of shelter deviates should leave the country. If they do not refuse the country voluntarily on a certain end, and there are no causes of obstruction or tolerance, the immigration authorities must deport them. According to the Center for Political Education, 1255 Syrians were deported in 2024. 10 842 people are now required to leave the country – 9,912 of them with tolerance, said Bump Euronews.
The federal government also promotes voluntary departure to Syria through a help program for reintegration and return. The Federal Statistical Service recorded only 1562 departments to Syria during the first five months of this year. However, not all those who leave are recorded, which leads to delays in the data update, he said.
People with a tolerant permit for accommodation are still obliged to leave the country, but their compensation is suspended for legal or real reasons. According to the analysis, the permissible stay was largely released in 2023 in accordance with Article 60a of the Law on Living from the lack of tourist documents.
According to Dr. Laura Page, a researcher at the Federal Migration and Refugees Service (BAMF), the most common cause of the expiration of the country’s exit is a voluntary departure or temporary residence permit.
According to Page, the probability of leaving the country tends to decrease with the length of stay. For example, the right to reside offers an 18 -month resolution for accommodation. During this time, those who are designed to leave the country should often fulfill certain requirements, such as learning language or ensuring livelihood. After that, they have constant prospects for their stay.
More naturalizations than when -from the 2000s
More and more people with foreign nationality are naturalized in Germany. In 2024, 291,955 people of Neggerman -the country’s citizenship received Germany. According to the Federal Statistical Service (Destatis), the number of naturalizations increased almost half compared to the previous year and amounted to 91,860 (46%), having reached a new high level – there have never been so many naturalizations with a change in the millennium.
Syrians were most often naturalized in 2024. More than one of the four naturalized were Syrian citizenship. The average duration of Syria citizens was 7.4 years.
For comparison: according to the Federal Statistical Service, about 200 100 naturalizations were made in 2023. People from 157 different nationalities have received Germany’s citizenship. Former Syrian citizens made up more than a third of (38%) of naturalizations, for example, 75,500 people. This is 27,100 more than in the previous year (+56%).
Elements of naturalization by age and floor
Syrian citizens who were naturalized in 2023 were an average of 24.5 years, and 64% were men. Before naturalization, they lived in Germany on average 6.8 years. Wives and children can also be naturalized without minimal stay. They represented about 28,000 naturalized Syrians in 2022 or 37%. According to Destatis, the average duration of Syrian citizens in 2023 was 6.8 years.
How is such a large amount of naturalization explain?
A constant number of naturalizations can be explained by legal changes in naturalization conditions. The changes entered into force on June 27, 2024 with the Law on Modernization of Citizenship (Starmodg). According to the new legal situation, naturalization is possible after a five -year period of residence instead of the previous eight years. The minimum period of residence can even be reduced to three years in case of special achievements of integration.
Labor market and employment
According to the latest details of the central register of aliens, In November 2024, 974,000 Syrian citizens lived in Germany. Of these, 685,000 were in his working age. This corresponds to 70 percent.
In September 2024, about 287,000 Syrians worked. Of these, 236,000 were subject to social security contribution. The level of employment, including exclusively marginal employment, increased by 30 % from 2016 to 41.7 % in September 2024.
Syrian workers currently represent 4.5 percent of foreign employment. These are 23,000 people (11%) of employees, provided that in September 2023 in September 2023 10% of the foreign affairs growth in September 2024 is due to an increase in the employment of the Syrian.
Types of employment of Syrian immigrants
In May 2024, about 6 out of 10 Syrians involved in social security contributions worked at specialized workplaces. 41% were busy as assistants, 48% were busy as specialized workers, and 11% were hired as experts or experts. The percentage of workers with Syrian nationality employed in specialized workplaces has been almost changed over the past five years. According to the report of the Federal Employment Service, this will probably be due to the fact that, although refugees occupy more specialized jobs, while recently arrived refugees mainly work as assistants.
About 60% of Syrians involved in social security deposits work in the field of production and processing, in the field of transport and supply, and in the field of healthcare. The structure of employment differs between the sexes.
Where do women and men work?
Employed classes in some cases differ in some cases depending on the floor. Men are mainly engaged in logistics professions, while women often work in the field of medical services. A little less than half of the Syrian men subjected to social security contribution, work in the field of transport and supply chains (18%), driving (10%), production and processing of food (6%), engineering and engineering and engineering (6%) and medical services (5%).
Among the Syrian women, two -thirds are used in the following professions subject to social security: professions of medical services (22%), social and educational professions (16%), professions of sales (11%), non -lawsian professions (8%) and 7%.
Almost every fifth of the registered Syrians who can work are inaccessible in the labor market from children’s care. Many Syrian women who are entitled to benefits take care of children and other care. 30% of women who were not registered as unemployed were involved in children’s care, household and care. Compared to those who were able to work, the percentage was 19%. For comparison, the percentage of Syrian men was one percent, according to the central register of foreigners.
The Federal Employment Service notes that there is still a clear need for actions, in particular, in the promotion of the integration of Syrian women in the labor market.
Workers in professions who have a shortage
2/5 (54,000) Syrian workers to be contributions to social security and worked with qualifications, worked in professions that recorded the shortcomings of personnel in May 2024.
Of the total number of Syrians engaged in such professions, about 4200 (3.2%) work on cars and technical professions, 3600 (2.8%) as bus or tram drivers, 3200 (2.4%) in nursing professions, 3100 (2.4%) and 2.4%.
This is especially important in the context of demographic changes and the subsequent visible decline in German labor: Syrian workers are currently making a significant contribution to an increase in employment. According to the Federal Employment Service, more than half of the work as specialized workers, and many of them in professions demonstrating the lack of labor.
What is their income
The average gross monthly income of Syrian workers with full time subject to social security contributions increased from 1900 euros in December 2017 to 2300 euros in December 2023. Provided that contributions to social security increased from 57% in 2017 to 70% in 2023, according to the Federal Employment Service.
Social advantages
In August 2024, a total of 518,000 Syrian citizens received benefits based on SGB II, including 353,000 Syrians at work and about 165,000 children and youth under the age of 15 years. Therefore, the speed of SGB II was 54.9%. This means that, in comparison with the population, a little more than half of Syria citizens had the right to benefits. SGB II assistance in August 2024 amounted to 54.9%.
Comparative: in 2023, the percentage also amounted to 54.9%. In 2018, in percent, it is much exceeding 80 percent.
Why is the percentage of the beneficiaries of social benefits between the Syrians so high?
Despite the reduction, the percentage remains at a very high level. This is partly due to the fact that Syria citizens are naturalized, which reduces the level of certificates. In addition, the immigration of Syrian asylum seekers remains high. Only for 12 months in the period from August 2023 to July 2024, 93,000 Syrian citizens first received benefits for SGB II.
However, Syrian integration into the labor market has reached significant progress from the middle of -2016. The level of employment increased sharply, while the unemployment rate and the level of reinforcement of SGB II have decreased markedly.