BERLIN — Nearly a decade after he arrived in Germany from Syria and took a selfie with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel, Anas Modamani has finished his university studies and has a German passport.
He's less positive about some German politicians' reactions to the fall of Bashar Assad, which was followed within hours by the first talk of Syrians returning.
''Berlin has become my second home, I will definitely stay here,'' Modamani said Tuesday. "I managed it'' — a reference to Merkel's famous slogan ''We will manage it,'' coined as Germany faced the challenge of integrating hundreds of thousands of migrants.
As Syrians took to the streets of Berlin Sunday, far-right leader Alice Weidel wrote on social platform X that anyone celebrating a ''free Syria'' in Germany ''evidently no longer has a reason to flee. He should return to Syria immediately.''
With a German election approaching and the government under longstanding pressure to reduce irregular migration, some mainstream opposition politicians also appeared eager to kickstart the return of Syrians.
On Monday, prominent conservative lawmaker Jens Spahn suggested on n-tv television the government could say that ''for everyone who wants to go back to Syria, we will charter planes for them, they will get a starting fund of 1,000 euros ($1,055).'' He stressed, though, that it will take time before it's clear whether things have stabilized.
Such ideas strike Syrians as indecently hasty. Modamani, a 27-year-old from Damascus who came to Germany in 2015, said he was ''shocked" by reports of the 1,000-euro proposal.
''I think that's a terrible idea," he said as he sat over lunch with Syrian friends at a Berlin restaurant. "The situation in Syria is still just as dangerous as before.''