Manfred Weber: Syria Return – Refugee Policy Shift?

“Those who are able to return to Syria and help rebuild the country should leave Germany and Europe and return to Syria,” said Weber in an interview published on Sunday with the German newspaper “Bild“.

He emphasized that the legal situation is unclear. “We provide aid in an emergency situation, but the war is over, you must return to your homeland,” explained the leader of the largest group in the European Parliament (EP).

However, he warned that strict deadlines should not be set. “If deportation is not possible in the first month, because part of Syria is still in complete ruins, then it might be possible in the next month,” said the politician. “But the principle has to be implemented in the end.”

Weber, however, believes that exceptions could be made for Syrians who are well integrated into the labor market.

“There are many Syrians in Germany who contribute a lot here. Do we really want to send them all back to Syria?” the EPP leader asked rhetorically, pointing out that immigrants play an important role in sectors such as healthcare.

Weber represents the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of the German chancellor’s Christian Democrats (CDU).