Recent statements from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party raise controversy again, as Alice Weidel, leader of the populist party, which is classified as far-right in some states, stated that if the party is able to reach power, “all Syrians will have to leave this country without exception,” since the reason for asylum has disappeared.
Weidel's statements came during her interview with the Austrian station AUF1 on September 11, and her statements did not only affect Syrians who have obtained asylum or protection status, but even those who have German citizenship.
Weidel said: "We will, of course, review the conditions of the Syrians who have obtained citizenship to verify the extent to which they meet the criteria for obtaining it, and we have great doubts in this regard."
What impact did Weidel’s statements have on the Syrians?
Muhammad (a pseudonym), 30 years old, expressed his concern about these statements. Muhammad, who has lived in Germany for four years and works as a bus driver, told DW Arabia: “After I came to Germany, I learned the language and started working, and the road was not easy, and after I started to feel settled, these statements came that made me feel like I was an unwanted person here.” Muhammad has a secondary protection residence permit, which increases his fears that his file will be reopened and deported.
Concern about deportation is not limited to those holding asylum or protection status, but has also reached those holding German citizenship. Widad Salloum (57 years old), a teacher of German as a second language for foreign children in an elementary school, told DW Arabic: “I have been living in Germany for about 11 years, and I obtained German citizenship two years ago, and yet I am worried about these statements.”
Salloum also works as a parent accompaniment within the “School Bag” project of the Municipal Integration Center in Cologne, and through her work with parents of foreign students, she noticed that the state of instability and lack of security experienced by Syrians has killed many of them’ motivation to study the language or work.
While others see that ignoring their efforts to work and integrate is frustrating and sad, and this is the case of Heba, a mother of three children, who has lived in Germany since 2016, works as a nanny in a day care center (Kita), and obtained German citizenship in record time.
Heba said in a statement to DW Arabia: “I am fluent in the German language, I am integrated into society, I have been working for many years, and I have held German citizenship for years, and I feel anxious and sad because of these statements,” and she added: “Imagine, after all this effort that I have made, someone tells you that I will withdraw your citizenship and deport you to your country.”
For her part, Nour Abu Jeeb (32 years old), a Syrian pediatrician, who has been living in Germany for nine months, and is in the process of amending her medical certificate to continue practicing the profession in Germany, believes that such topics are being exaggerated on social media by many pages and influencers, with the aim of attracting attention and followers and stirring up confusion and controversy to gain interaction and make profits.
Abu Jeeb does not believe that the issue of deporting Syrians can be that simple, and she added in a statement to DW Arabia: "On a personal level, I do not feel afraid, because when I work and prove myself and commit to my duties towards the country, I will be protected under the German constitution."
More anxiety and fewer options... Refugees in Saxony-Anhalt are looking for ways to leave
Tarek Al-Aws, spokesman for Pro Asyl and an expert on migration and asylum issues, explained that the concerns are most evident in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, where many are considering leaving the province completely.
The Alternative for Germany party had achieved an unprecedented victory in the elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt with about 44 percent of the votes. Al-Aws said in an interview with DW Arabic: “The fears are not limited to the Alternative for Germany party coming to power in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, but the fact that 44 percent of the people in the state voted for an extreme right-wing party with unconstitutional demands is in itself frightening.”
The expert in immigration and asylum affairs explained that fears are increasing among refugees in particular, as they have no options due to the war conditions in their country, unlike immigrants and skilled workers who can find job opportunities in other countries.
Al-Aws added: "The biggest fear is that some refugee seekers in the state of Saxony-Anhalt are unable to move to another place within Germany."
Is mass deportation of Syrians legally possible?
Mass deportation of Syrians is not legally possible, according to the consultant and researcher specializing in immigration policies and refugee affairs, Muhammad Al-Kashif, and it contradicts Article 16 of the German Basic Law, and the principle of non-refoulement stipulated in the Geneva Convention.
The revocation of protection status only occurs when “the conditions on which the protection was based no longer exist,” especially when there is a “fundamental and sustained change” in the situation in the country of origin. This means that each case is subject to a mandatory “individual review.”
Even in individual deportation cases, Al-Kashef says that the people most at risk are the perpetrators of crimes and those classified as security threats, a category whose files the German authorities have begun reviewing, in addition to those proven to have provided false information during asylum procedures.
The third category is those who have received “secondary protection”, which is the largest category and the one most subject to review currently, as the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) began reviewing the files of this category months ago, and the review expanded to include files that exceeded 21 months, and people who the authorities believe no longer need special protection.
Al-Kashef confirms that those who have settlement/permanent residency enjoy stronger legal protection, numbering 70,018 people, according to statistics from June/July 2026, and canceling this type of residency requires strong reasons such as committing a serious crime.
As for naturalized citizens, Al-Kashef stated to DW Arabic: “Naturalized citizens cannot be deported, because they are German citizens. But there is a separate file, which is the withdrawal of citizenship,” which has other considerations and laws.
“It would take Germany 300 years to deport less than half of the Syrians.”
Muhammad Al-Kashif, a consultant and researcher specializing in immigration policies and refugee affairs, believes that Germany faces several obstacles to deportations, the first of which is legal. Every person has the right to an individual judicial review, and administrative courts take an average of 15 months to issue their ruling. Al-Kashif said: “If 500,000 Syrians filed lawsuits against their deportation, that would mean a complete collapse of the judicial system.”
Then comes the logistical hurdle, and Al-Kashef explained that even with a charter plane transporting 50 people every working day (240 working days per year), 12,000 deportations annually is a completely fictitious number.
Regarding the time hurdle, Al-Kashef points out that, taking the current rate of deportation into account, it will take more than 300 years to deport 500,000 people, according to expert estimates.
Al-Kashef told DW Arabia: "Then we encountered the biggest practical obstacle, which is the absence of documents. Since January 21, 2026, no German state has issued an alternative travel document for any Syrian wanted to leave," and added: "And without a valid identity document, no person can be deported to Syria."
Al-Kashef believes that what is happening now is a huge gap between the escalating political discourse, especially from the Alternative for Germany (AFD) party and the Christian Social Party (CSU), and the actual legal and practical capacity.
“A populist speech aimed at winning voters.”
Tariq Al-Aws believes that these statements are nothing more than populist statements seeking to gain more votes in the upcoming elections in Berlin, Mecklenburg, and Pommern. However, at the same time, they are statements that raise waves of hatred against Syrian men and women in Germany, especially when talking about the issue of naturalization, since Syrians are the largest group that was naturalized last year, and therefore they are targeted by these statements, and they are used as a card to gain votes or to deprive others of votes in the elections.
Here, Al-Aws stresses the importance of the political participation of all Syrians who have citizenship, to unify their voices against these policies.
Regarding the possibility of implementing deportations on the ground, Al-Aws says: “Currently, I do not see that these statements have any effect under the current laws,” but he believes that the source of concern lies in the ideological orientation of the party, especially if it is one day able to reach the position of chancellor or is able to form a government in Germany. Therefore, no one will be protected, even people who have lived here for decades, as he put it.
