Syrians in Germany hopeful for their homeland but divided on returning

CGTN Europe

'Of course we will all visit our country, but it's a much different place now.' CGTN’s Natalie Carney speaks to Munich’s Syrian diaspora about the events back home.   #syria #germany  Read more ⬇️ https://tinyurl.com/3xtdwejs

Transcript

00:00The powerful images of thousands of refugees, mostly Syrian, flooding into Munich's main

00:06train station back in 2015 and 2016 have become historic.

00:12Many have since built a life for themselves in their host country, such as restaurant

00:17owner Mohamed Tepse, who has been in Germany since 2014.

00:22Ever since he left Syria, Mohamed has been following the news back home, but couldn't

00:26believe what he heard over the weekend.

00:32It was like a dream that came true, that made us feel alive again.

00:36We are happy.

00:37Our blood is bubbling from happiness.

00:42A few doors down, one of the city's most popular Syrian sweet shops has seen a wave of sales

00:47like never before.

00:49Yes, of course, for the past couple of days we have been celebrating with everyone.

00:58On Saturday, Sunday, it was madness here, like a festival.

01:02Everyone was celebrating, buying sweets, and we are very happy.

01:07Celebrations erupted in cities across Europe over the weekend, such as the German capital,

01:11Berlin, where thousands of happy Syrians took to the streets waving Syrian opposition flags.

01:18Many years after their arrival, the issue of refugees continues to be a controversial

01:23one in Germany.

01:25With snap elections here in Germany early next year, the recent events in Syria have

01:30provided political parties another issue to campaign on.

01:34The main opposition, Christian Democratic Union, is calling for support to repatriate

01:39Syrians who fled to Germany over the past 13 years.

01:43However, yet all parties in the current coalition government are urging patience, saying sending

01:48them back to their homeland is a second step.

01:51The first is to support the stability of Syria.

01:55German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says that his country and its partners would make their

02:00contribution to stabilizing the country based on UN resolutions on Syria.

02:06In the meantime, Germany has suspended asylum procedures for Syrian nationals, affecting

02:12nearly 48,000 applications.

02:16Yet Mohamed believes sending people back should be considered carefully.

02:25It's their country, and they are free to send Syrians back.

02:29But there are those who became doctors, engineers, and helped Germany.

02:34It makes no sense sending them back to Syria.

02:37It should be each person's choice.

02:42While many Syrians CGTN spoke to dream of returning home, they know that the country

02:49and the lives they left behind will never be the same.

02:53The United Nations estimates the minimum rebuilding cost would be 250 billion US dollars, and

03:01there are genuine concerns of what will come next politically.

03:05Both Germany and France have said that they are ready to work with Syria's new government,

03:10providing fundamental human rights for all ethnic and religious minorities are protected.

03:16Natalie Carney, CGTN, in Munich.

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