Do Syrian refugees lose their residency due to visiting Syria? Germany clarifies.

In a new and controversial step, the German government has revealed a plan aimed at allowing Syrian refugees to visit their homeland without automatically losing their protected status in Germany.

However, these visits will be strictly conditional, limited to a period not exceeding four weeks annually, either in one installment or two separate periods, each lasting two weeks.

Refugees are required to inform the relevant foreign office in advance of their intention to travel, with the purpose of the visit being clear and specific, which is serious preparation for the final return to Syria.

Similarly, the spokesperson for the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees announced the commencement of revoking residency permits from 2157 refugees in Germany due to their temporary travel to their countries of origin, in clear violation of protection rules.

Among these cases, 734 Syrian refugees have had their permits revoked, reflecting the German authorities' strictness in dealing with this type of travel, despite the new conditional facilitations.