Abdullah Sabra was just 14 when he was sent to sea by his father. After nearly a decade spent working on merchant vessels, he reached a point where he knew he needed to leave the ship. His passage to asylum in Europe however was different from most. Now in Germany, he is hoping to return to sea to help other refugees from the decks of the Sea-Watch.
According to a media report, the majority of Germany's 16 states favor deporting Syrian nationals deemed to pose a risk to security in Germany. While states with conservative-led interior ministries are in favor of deportations in individual cases, those led by Social Democrats and The Greens are against the contentious practice.
Will Germany be the first EU country to deport people to war-torn Syria? On December 31, the ban on deportations of Syrian nationals deemed to pose a risk to security in Germany expired. Forcibly returning people to Syria is highly controversial: Reports show that detentions, disappearances and torture in Syria "remain pervasive."
Eight people have been arrested after an arson attack at a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon. Two Lebanese and six Syrian nationals are alleged to have been involved in the attack, according to the Lebanese army.
Lebanese military officials have said that the fire was started after a row between Syrian refugees and their employer, a local family, over pay. An investigation is ongoing.
Pope Francis has launched an appeal to the international community to make "every possible effort" to facilitate the return of refugees from Syria and Iraq to their homes.
The ban on deportations of Syrian nationals deemed to pose a risk to security in Germany will expire at the end of the year. The interior ministers of Germany's state governments had failed to agree on the terms of an extension. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the expulsions will become possible on the practical level.
The parliamentary faction of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU party wants to use the results of an inquest into the security situation in northern Syria to examine whether the region could be deemed a safe zone for deportation. But many have criticized the plans.
The Greek police have arrested a Syrian man suspected of having been involved in an IS Jihadist group. The 27-year-old was staying at the camp with his wife and children. According to Greek police, he said he entered Greece in March 2018.
A Syrian who received subsidiary protection but not asylum had filed a lawsuit against German authorities. The European Court of Justice found that fleeing military service in a violent regime could be seen as sufficient grounds for asylum.
Left with no other options, Syrians in Europe have taken local chemical companies, overseas banks and technology firms to court, as well as senior Syrian officials and members of terror groups.
As part of a larger case involving Syrians, a German citizen is also suing Bashar Assad's security apparatus. Martin Lautwein says he witnessed abuse and killings of other inmates during his 48 days detained in Damascus.