Germany has deported a convicted criminal to Syria for the first time since the country’s civil war began in 2011, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday, marking a significant shift in

Berlin’s deportation policy.

The man was transferred to Syrian authorities in Damascus early Tuesday after serving a prison sentence in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia for aggravated robbery, assault and extortion.

The deportation follows a new agreement between Germany and Syria that allows the regular removal of convicted offenders and individuals deemed security risks. Officials said the arrangement clears the way for further deportations to Syria, which had been halted for years amid the conflict.

Earlier the same day, German authorities also deported a convicted Afghan national who had been imprisoned in Bavaria, including for intentional bodily harm. The Interior Ministry said it was the second deportation to Afghanistan within a week.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt of the conservative Christian Social Union defended the policy, saying the government was acting in the public interest. “Our society has a legitimate interest in criminals leaving our country,” he said, stressing the need for control, consistency and clear consequences.

Human rights organizations have criticized Germany’s efforts to deport migrants to Syria and Afghanistan, citing ongoing instability and persistent reports of human rights abuses in both countries.

Nevertheless, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative-led government has made the resumption of deportations to Syria a priority since the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December last year. Photo by Vyacheslav Argenberg, Wikiedia commons.