German labor union Verdi on Wednesday warned against large-scale repatriations of Syrians from Germany as the country is emerging from a 13-year civil war in the aftermath of the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar Assad.
Verdi leader Frank Werneke said large repatriations are "against the interests of the people and, incidentally, also against the interests of the labor market, at least in parts of Germany."
He advised "approaching the situation with a cool head."
"Many are integrated and established in the labor market here and are also important for us," the labor leader told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).
Syrians work, for instance, in retail, delivery services, or in care sectors. Many have become Verdi members.
Meanwhile, Germany is among several European countries that announced they would put all asylum applications from Syrian nationals on hold until further notice.
Asylum requests at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) will not be processed until there is more clarity on political developments in the country, a German Interior Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
Over 800,000 people with Syrian citizenship live in Germany, with the majority having come as refugees following former Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision in 2015 to allow over a million asylum seekers to enter Germany.
Syria was the top country of origin for asylum seekers in Germany this year, with 72,420 asylum applications submitted by the end of November, according to BAMF data. Some 47,270 asylum applications from Syrians remain undecided.
Assad fled to Russia on Sunday after opposition forces swept into Damascus following a 12-day lightning offensive that marked one of the biggest turning points for the Middle East in generations.
Werneke urged the German government and the European Union to closely monitor the situation in Syria. When forming a transitional government, ethnic and religious groups should be considered.
"As democratic conditions as possible" should be organized, Werneke said. "This is crucial for the many people who are refugees in Germany regarding their future prospects."
From his own conversations in recent days, he is aware of various reactions from Syrians in Germany. They closely observe the situation in Syria and generally are very pleased about Assad's overthrow, emphasized Werneke.
"Many are also considering if and when they might return to Syria," he said. However, he noted that it is crucial for everyone to first see what actually happens in the country now.
In establishing democratic conditions in Syria, unions play an important role. "There have been no free unions in Syria for many, many decades," the Verdi leader said, noting that free unions are part of a democratic state.
"Therefore, I see it as our responsibility, together with the international union federations of which we are members, to help establish free unions there, " he said.
In Germany, union rights are anchored in the country's constitution.
Rebuilding Syria will be a colossal task following a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people. Cities have been bombed to ruins, swathes of countryside depopulated, the economy gutted by international sanctions and millions of refugees still live in camps after one of the biggest displacements of modern times.
The decision to pause asylum applications from Syrians comes ahead of snap elections in Germany set for February. Far-right and conservative parties are topping the polls, and Germans view migration as the second biggest problem their country faces, a poll by Infratest showed on Friday.
The premier of Germany's southern state of Bavaria, Markus Soeder, on Monday referred to the BAMF suspension as "the right decision."
"We even have to consider how a greater number of people can be repatriated to their Syrian homeland," he said in a news conference.
