For 14 years while Syria's brutal civil war raged, Germany provided a safe haven for those fleeing the violence. Now, a year after that conflict ended with the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, many in Germany ' including the country's leader ' want those same Syrians gone. In November, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a controversial plan to deport Syrian refugees 'in the near future.' He also urged the 1 million Syrians in Germany, most of whom are Muslim, to voluntarily return. This hardened stance toward Syrian refugees, expressed at the highest level of government, has been interpreted as Merz's attempt to stave off Germany's rising far-right party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD). In the February 2025 national election, the AfD won almost 21% of the vote, making it the second-largest party in the parliament. The government's perceived rationale is that in getting tough on immigration, Merz will steal some of the thunder on an issue that has seen the AfD...
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