Exploration trip to the homeland
Criticism of the planned exception rule for refugees from Syria
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The news of the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad has left many refugees euphoric. The federal government wants to make it easier for them to return.
FDP politicians have spoken out against the federal government’s planned exemption for refugees traveling home to Syria. “Such an exception could easily be abused,” said Bundestag member Christoph Hoffmann. It should therefore not be implemented under any circumstances.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) believes it makes sense to allow Syrian refugees a one-time trip to their country of origin without affecting their protection status in Germany. A spokesman for her ministry said on Monday that this would make voluntary return to Syria possible “if people can also get an idea of whether houses are still standing, whether family members are still alive, with whom there may have been no contact for a long time, and whether they are really safe in their homeland.” Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) had previously spoken out in favor of such an exemption.
Thomae: Return to Syria is mandatory
The FDP domestic politician Stephan Thomae (FDP) said: “The decisive factor for protection status is not whether the house is still standing, but whether life, limb, freedom or health are at risk in the country of origin.” If this is no longer the case, temporary protection will no longer apply and a return to Syria will be mandatory. This decision lies with the responsible authorities and not with the refugees themselves. There are established return programs for the final return home.
The domestic policy spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group, Gottfried Curio, said that all refugees from Syria who found protection in Germany because of the civil war or persecution by the security apparatus of the ruler Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown in December, must return permanently as soon as possible. He said: “The AfD parliamentary group strongly calls for the comprehensive revocation of any protective status that may have been granted and the immediate deportation of the people in question.”
dpa
Source: Stern

I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.