Syrians residing in Germany are confronted with a troubling dilemma: they are compelled to return to the very government that subjected them to imprisonment or torture to obtain a new passport. According to activists, the financial transactions involved in obtaining these passports serve to fund a regime that the German government itself sanctions.
Adam Yasmin, now 27, was embroiled in political activism from a young age in Syria. However, his involvement in pro-democracy protests led to his arrest and subsequent torture at the age of 16. Fleeing to Germany, Yasmin applied for German citizenship, only to discover that he required a Syrian passport to complete the process. Reluctant to provide financial support to the regime responsible for his suffering, Yasmin refused to procure the passport, sparking a legal battle.
Many Syrians in Germany share Yasmin’s predicament, particularly those with subsidiary protection status. Despite being officially recognized as refugees, they are still mandated to obtain Syrian passports, which poses significant financial burdens. Syrian passports are among the world’s most expensive, costing up to €1,000 for a two-year validity period, starkly contrasting to the €100 cost for a 10-year German passport.
Critics argue that Germany’s stringent passport rules inadvertently contribute to funding the Assad regime. Estimates suggest that millions of euros annually flow into the regime’s coffers due to these passport fees, exacerbating the dire situation faced by Syrians in Germany. Despite efforts by refugee advocacy groups to highlight this issue through campaigns such as #DefundAssad, bureaucratic obstacles persist, hindering meaningful change.
Germany’s approach to passport issuance for Syrians starkly contrasts other EU countries. While France, the Netherlands, and Greece do not require Syrians to renew their passports, Germany’s stance remains notably rigid. The lack of flexibility in German policy has drawn criticism from activists, who argue that a change in interpretation, rather than new legislation, is needed to address the issue.
Although the German Interior Ministry has acknowledged the need for careful consideration of individual circumstances, practical solutions remain elusive for many Syrians navigating the bureaucratic maze. Aspiring politician Yasmin emphasizes the inherent injustice in forcing refugees to financially support the regime responsible for their plight, calling for urgent action to rectify this untenable situation.