Germany halts Syrian asylum proceedings as Scholz desperately attempts to avoid surge of hard-right AFD

Germany has halted Syrian asylum proceedings as Chancellor Olaf Scholz desperately attempts to avoid the surge of the hard-right ahead of the upcoming Bundestag Election.

An official from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees told Der Spiegel news magazine on Monday that the move was taken in light of the unclear and unpredictable political situation in Syria

However, right-wing parties in Berlin are still pushing for Syrian refugees to return to their homeland, as discussions intensify over the future of approximately one-million Syrians who have sought refuge in Germany.

Germany has hosted roughly one-in-seven of all Syrians who fled their country since the civil war began in 2011.

Conservative politicians are now arguing that Syrian refugees should be encouraged to leave, pointing to reports of displaced Syrians beginning to return from neighbouring countries such as Lebanon.

Andrea Lindholz, an MP from the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) and deputy leader of the conservative bloc in the Bundestag, has taken a firm stance on the issue.

“Germany had overfulfilled its humanitarian duty towards the refugees”, Lindholz told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

She has called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to announce that Germany would not accept any more refugees.

Lindholz argued that if peace returns to Syria, many Syrians in Germany would lose their protection status and their right to stay.

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Other conservative politicians have taken more moderate positions on the issue.

Jürgen Hardt, a foreign policy specialist from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), suggested a more measured approach, stating that many Syrians might choose to return voluntarily.

“I think we will come to re-evaluate the situation in Syria and that will also lead to a re-evaluation of the question of who can seek refuge here and who can’t”, Hardt told ZDF broadcaster.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has taken a harder stance, with co-leader Tino Chrupalla declaring: “Those that have no place in our country, those who ought to be deported, the violent criminals at any rate, should leave immediately.”

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) has urged caution against rushed decisions on refugee returns.

Michael Roth, who heads the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, warned against inflaming the situation, stating: “We shouldn’t keep heating things up in a populist fashion.”

Roth expressed particular concern about the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militia’s ability to maintain stability in Syria.

He questioned whether HTS had truly abandoned its jihadist ideology, stating: “I don’t want to sound too pessimistic but the question is how the fundamentalist Islamist groups will behave.”

“I don’t trust them an inch,” Roth added, highlighting ongoing uncertainties about Syria’s future stability.

Opinion polls suggest Scholz will suffer an emphatic defeat in the upcoming 2025 German federal election.

Scholz’s SPD currently attracts just 16 per cent of the vote, well-below the 32 per cent for Union and 19 per cent for AFD.