Many Syrians living in Germany want to stay

Around 1 million Syrians live in Germany today, most with secure residency. Though some have returned since the fall of the Bashar Assad regime, many others want to remain in Germany despite Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying it's now safe for them to return.

Many Syrians are vital to the labor market: nearly half of working-age Syrians are employed, and integration rates continue to rise.

Merz is planning a "Work and Stay" agency to separate asylum from job integration. Meanwhile, fewer Syrians are arriving, and more are leaving, since the civil war ended.