Since the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, many Germans have shown their support for the idea that Syrians should go back to their country of origin. This thought process, in my opinion, is quite dangerous. Although sending refugees back in some ways seems like a rational and reasonable decision, it ultimately undermines the asylum process and obscures a more complicated lived reality. Syrians and Yazidis in Germany have both been reshaped by their new environments. Not only that, but a return in many cases is not only unjust, but it is also unrealistic. Expecting refugees to immediately pack up their lives and help their homeland rebuild after years of civil war and conflict is not right.
Furthermore, expecting refugees who have lived in Germany for years to pack up their lives and go back “home” asserts the idea that there is a home to go back to in the first place. In the YouTube video made by ARTE.tv, Hakeema’s story helps illustrate the harsh reality she escaped from. Not only that, but her return to Iraq helped show that she did not return to a family home, but rather destroyed houses and haunting memories. Germany, in many ways, is her new home.
Economically, Syrians and many other refugees are also deeply embedded in the German way of life. The Washington Post’s reporting on the Syrian doctors who have helped fill gaps within Germany’s healthcare system is just one example of this. Rania Kadib Alban, for example, is an ENT in Germany, where she and her family live. Her contributions to the German economy, along with countless other Syrian refugees, is priceless. However, Syrians have made more than just an economic impact. They have also established themselves socially. Rania Kadib Alban’s children, for example, “prefer German food to Syrian.” This statement, although seemingly unimportant, highlights the assimilation that has already occurred. Likewise, many refugees have had children in the country who have only ever known a German existence. The removal of these refugees would not only destabilize the German economy, but it would also destabilize the German way of life.
Finally, I think it is important to mention that the reasoning given to support Syrian removal from Germany is flawed. Many articles this week mentioned that Germans who are on the far right believe that any Syrian refugees celebrating the fall of the Assad regime should go back to Syria to help rebuild. I think this thinking fails to consider that many Syrians are better able to rebuild Syria while in Germany than they ever would be in Syria itself. As the Washington Post article highlighted, many Syrians would love to help rebuild their homeland, but many expressed that they did not know whether they wanted to go back. Likewise, ARTE.tv documentary helps show the impact remittances have on Hakemma’s family, who still reside in Iraq. Ultimately, her German income helps sustain her family and the local economy in her cousin’s region. Additionally, many articles highlighted the celebrations Syrians had when learning that the Assad regime had fallen. This political involvement in Syria and presumably Germany as well, may be more useful in helping Syria recover than any physical return could be. Additionally, a return may also be dangerous and failing to consider the safety of the individuals you are sending back is wrong.
