Germany’s Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday the deportation of a convicted Syrian to Damascus, marking the first such case since the outbreak of the Syrian war nearly 15 years ago.
The ministry said the man was handed over to Syrian authorities in the morning but did not disclose his identity or the crimes he was convicted of.
No immediate statement was issued by the Syrian side.
Germany had suspended direct deportations to Syria since 2011, following the violent crackdown on the uprising against Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted by rebels late last year.
Since Assad’s fall, calls have grown in Germany for Syrian refugees to return home. However, the former center-left government warned that it was still too early to consider Syria safe for such measures.
Sources - Agencies
