Image source: dw.com

Return of Syrian Refugees Could Burden the German Labor Market

Debate over the return of Syrian refugees meets skilled labor shortages: about 300,000 Syrians work in health, care, logistics and skilled trades; their loss could cause supply bottlenecks.

DW reports that about 975,000 Syrians live in Germany and according to the IAB around 300,000 of them are employed and nearly 20,000 are self-employed, making them strongly represented in system-relevant sectors.

Many Syrian physicians working in Germany hold the Approbation, allowing them to work permanently in hospitals; the Bundesärztekammer cited the number of more than 7,000 employees with Syrian passports.

Because of the Demografischer Wandel, Germany lacks workers especially in health, logistics and skilled trades, so an exodus or increased deportations of Syrian employees could lead to supply shortages.

Although by the end of August 2025 nearly 1,900 Syrians had returned voluntarily, political debates about faster decisions in the Asylverfahren and decreasing attractiveness of Germany in surveys such as the Gallup Global Poll increase pressure on skilled workers.

Around 60 percent of Syrians in social-insurance-paid employment work in system-relevant professions, yet many remain underchallenged because recognition of qualifications and access to further training are delayed; this endangers the full use of their potential.

What position do you feel closer to?

Rückführungs-Befürworter

The debate makes clear that the need for skilled labor must not lead to a permanent solution to flight; return and reconstruction of Syria must take precedence.

Integrations- und Bleibebefürworter

A blanket return of Syrian refugees would be professionally short-sighted and risky from a human-rights perspective and would weaken central areas of provision.

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