Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has initiated legal proceedings against more than 2,100 individuals with protection status who are suspected of having traveled to their countries of origin — a move that could lead to revocation of their status under German law.
In the past six months, BAMF launched 2,157 status review procedures in connection with such cases. The majority of these involve citizens of Iraq (762 cases) and Syria (734 cases), followed by Afghanistan (240), Iran (115), and Turkey (31).
According to German legislation, traveling back to one’s country of origin may indicate that there is no longer a threat of persecution, which initially justified the granting of protection status. Therefore, such actions can be grounds for a review and possible revocation.
There is growing concern over cases where trips back home have led to radicalization — investigations following several attacks in Germany revealed that some perpetrators had visited their home countries before committing crimes. As a result, revocation procedures were tightened last year as part of a new “security package” of laws.
However, not all travel automatically results in the loss of protection status. Exceptions are made for “morally imperative” reasons — such as attending the funeral of a close relative — provided the trip is approved in advance by the authorities. Ukrainian refugees are also exempt from this rule, as EU directives allow them to travel freely between Germany and Ukraine.
