During Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s first visit to Berlin on 31 March, Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged support for returning up to 80 percent of the 1 million Syrians living in Germany within three years. The leaders announced a joint task-force to develop ‘circular migration corridors’ enabling qualified Syrians to shuttle between reconstruction projects in Syria and jobs or training in Germany. Key elements under discussion include temporary return visas, bilateral social-security coverage and EU-funded reintegration grants. German development ministry officials will travel to Damascus next week to survey priority sectors—energy, transport and vocational education. The proposal marks the boldest shift in German migration policy since 2015 and will require changes to the Residence Act, including easier re-entry for returnees. Critics in the Green party and human-rights NGOs argue that large-scale returns remain unsafe and accuse the government of using mobility tools to meet domestic deportation targets. For employers, the concept could create flexible assignment options for Syrian engineers and healthcare workers, but the legal framework is months away. Organisations should monitor the task-force communiqué expected by mid-June and review talent-retention clauses for Syrian staff.
Source: The Local Germany (AFP)
