Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, head of the UNHCR in Syria, has warned Germany against forced returns of Syrian refugees. Syria is already at the limit of its capacity, and further deportations would worsen the situation. He criticizes this in the context of plans by Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, head of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Syria, has warned against the forced return of Syrian refugees from Germany. In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, he emphasized that Syria is already at the limit of its capacity. "Syria is at the limit, the absorption capacity is already exhausted," he said. This year alone, around one million Syrians returned from neighboring countries like Jordan and Lebanon, with another million expected next year.
This warning targets plans by Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), who announced in late September that he wants to reach an agreement with Syria this year. Initially, criminals are to be deported, later also people without residence rights. To prepare, suspended asylum decisions are to be resumed. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) supports this and called for bringing "criminals out of the country," including young, able-bodied Syrians who have not integrated, in an interview with the Münchner Merkur. Those who have integrated well should stay, he stressed.
Vargas Llosa considers forced returns unsustainable, as the situation in Syria remains precarious. Many returnees would leave the country again, further burdening overloaded neighboring states. He also criticized cuts in humanitarian aid by countries like Germany. The UNHCR has already had to close 40 percent of its 122 regional access points. He described it as "one of the world's largest refugee crises" but saw a rare chance for de-escalation: "We must seize this chance."
The background: After 14 years of civil war, a rebel coalition led by HTS overthrew Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024. In late January 2025, HTS leader Ahmed al-Scharaa was appointed interim president.