Federal Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser and Austria’s Federal Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner travelled together to Jordan to learn more about the current security situation in the Middle East. They had planned to travel from Jordan on to the Syrian capital of Damascus, but cancelled that part of their journey after the German security authorities warned of a specific security threat. The two interior ministers had planned to meet with Syria’s transitional government.

Jordan: A reliable partner in the region

On Wednesday, 26 March 2025, Federal Minister Faeser and Federal Minister Karner met with their Jordanian counterpart Mazin Al Farrayeh and Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Al Safadi in Amman to discuss the current security situation. Like Germany, Jordan has assumed major humanitarian responsibility for refugees from Syria. “Jordan is a key partner for Germany and an anchor of stability in the Middle East. This is all the more important in view of the very volatile situation in Syria, the terrorist organisation Hamas and the war in Gaza,” Federal Minister Faeser said. “Our security authorities will continue to work closely together, particularly in the fight against Islamist terrorism.”

From temporary tent camp to city of refugees

In northern Jordan, near the Syrian border, lies Camp Za’atari. Since it opened in 2012, it has become a symbol of flight from the Assad regime and the civil war in Syria. Some 78,000 Syrian refugees now live there. The camp is administered by the Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate (SRAD) of Jordan and the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR.

During her visit to Jordan, Federal Minister Faeser also visited Camp Za’atari to learn more about how the refugees there are accommodated, how their basic needs and health care are provided for, and how they manage their daily lives. An important issue is education, because more than half of those living in the camp are minors, including 22,000 children between the ages of two and 12.

The possibility of return for Syrian refugees

The talks in Damascus would have focused on security issues and the possibility of return for Syrian refugees. Germany has provided shelter to approximately 1 million Syrians fleeing the Assad regime and the civil war – more than any other EU member state.

Germany and Austria are working intensively to return Syrian nationals to Syria as quickly as possible who are serious criminal offenders and potential threats.  These issues are to be discussed with Syria’s transitional government at the earliest possible opportunity. However, the warning from the security authorities shows that the security situation in Syria remains fragile.

Four-point plan for Syrians in Germany

Already in January, Federal Minister Faeser presented her four-point plan for Syrians in Germany:

1. Those who are well-integrated into German society, are employed, have learned the German language and have found a new home in Germany should be able to remain.
2. Germany will assist anyone who wants to return to Syria. The programme for voluntary return has been expanded to include Syria. Syrians who have been away from their country for years will have a chance to visit Syria, look up relatives and decide whether they can return to a life in safety there. “We are working to enable Syrians to visit their country without losing their protection status,” Federal Minister Faeser said. She went on to emphasise, “Visits will be subject to strict requirements. We support voluntary return, but we don’t want people commuting back and forth.”
3. Criminals and people considered a potential terrorist or extremist threat are to be deported as quickly as possible. “We have greatly expanded the legal possibilities to do so, and we will use them as soon as the situation in Syria permits,” Federal Minister Faeser said. “We are not talking about a large number of people, but about criminals who threaten Germany’s security. We have a definite national interest in seeing that these people leave Germany.”
4. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) will assess the protection status of Syrian refugees and will withdraw it for those who no longer require such protection in Germany because the situation in Syria has stabilised. This will apply to people who do not have a right of residence for other reasons, such as work or education, and do not return to Syria voluntarily.

Keeping a close watch on the situation in Syria

Germany is supporting Syria, including with 300 million euros available through the United Nations and international organisations. This support comes with clearly defined expectations: “Freedom and security must be guaranteed for everyone in Syria, regardless of their gender, faith or ethnicity,” Federal Minister Faeser said.

The Federal Government’s Syria Task Force, led by the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, is working to obtain a clear picture of the situation in Syria. And the Federal Government closely coordinates its action with its European and international partners. For that reason, Federal Minister Faeser travelled with Austria’s Federal Minister of the Interior Karner for talks in the region.