Some Syrians who have already naturalized in Germany are planning to visit their homeland. However, the German Federal Foreign Office; the Foreign Ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany (AA), warns against traveling to Syria under the title: “Travel and Security Advice” on its homepage. Syrians with dual nationalities; Syrian and German, are treated in Syria exclusively as Syrians, according to Syrian laws. This means “Even longer-standing violations of the law in the home country (e.g. illegal departure) can be prosecuted by the Syrian authorities upon return. In this context, arrests occur again and again” announced the AA.
For male passengers with dual nationality or a residence permit in Germany, there will be an additional important problem; they can be “conscripted for military service or forced to pay a sum of money to be released from military service”, according to the AA.
Finally, the AA warns that even a travel permit from the Syrian embassy in Berlin does not protect anybody against coercive measures in Syria, even in parts of the country “that are not currently under the authority of the Syrian regime”. In addition, all travelers must pay an entry fee of 100 US dollars.
In the link below, you can find all travel information from the German Foreign Office on Syria:
Syrien: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise – Auswärtiges Amt (auswaertiges-amt.de)
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Flughafen Stuttgart. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Mostafa Elyasian.
