The German government has promised to increase the number of deportations in 2026, but so far, deportation attempts are often thwarted, and new asylum applications are only increasing.
More than a year after the end of the civil war in Syria, over half a million refugees have returned home from Turkey alone.
In Germany, however, the number of asylum applications continues to rise, while deportations have not increased.
In a policy document from the CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, lawmakers called for deportations to be carried out via regular flights, including to Syria and Afghanistan.
In practice, deportations are often disrupted if the individuals resist or go into hiding on the day of removal. Experts are calling for stricter measures from lawmakers, as well as additional programs to make voluntary return more attractive.
Since the end of 2024, Turkey has reported roughly 550,000 departures of Syrian citizens, while Germany recorded nearly 25,000 new asylum applications from Syrians in 2025 alone.