The number of Syrians living in Germany has declined, mainly due to naturalization rather than departures. According to a response from the German government to a parliamentary inquiry by the Left Party in the Bundestag, 940,401 Syrians were residing in Germany by the end of November, more than half of them — 512,348 — under protection status.
A year earlier, the Central Register of Foreigners recorded about 974,000 Syrian nationals. Over the past three years, Syria has been among the top countries of origin for people acquiring German citizenship.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul faced sharp criticism within the Christian alliance last October after questioning, during a visit to Syria, the possibility of large-scale voluntary returns. He later clarified that he remains convinced that returning to destroyed areas such as Damascus is only feasible to a limited extent and in the short term.
Sources - Agencies
