A Syrian doctor built his life in Germany — but says he no longer feels fully welcome. As the government debates returning Syrians, Ammar asks: Is it the right time to go back?
00:00Amar Jabour is one of thousands of doctors of Syrian origin in Germany who have been keeping Germany's health care system running.
00:13He's been here for more than a decade, but now feels the mood has shifted.
00:16Recently, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added to this uncertainty, claiming Syrians could now return home since the war is over.
00:36A remark widely criticized as populist and misleading.
00:39Es gibt jetzt keinerlei Gründe mehr für Asyl in Deutschland und deswegen können wir auch mit Rückführungen beginnen.
00:45So far, the government's proposed returns would likely target a small group of Syrians, those who have committed crimes or are considered security threats.
00:54Amar is already a German citizen, so he wouldn't be affected by any deportation decisions. Yet the tone of the debate still troubles him.
01:01Und wie die Stimmung jetzt gequippt ist, wo wir waren und wo wir jetzt hinfahren, das gibt mir Angst halt. Und das macht mich auch traurig für dieses Land.
01:12But would Amar return voluntarily? Two weeks ago, he visited Damascus for a medical conference and saw firsthand that much of the country is still in ruins, without a basic supply of water, electricity or hospitals.
01:26Das ist die Straße, wo wir gewohnt haben. Es gibt Städte, die komplett zertrummelt sind. Die sind nicht mehr bewohnbar. Und das macht dieser freiwillige Rückkehr nach Syrien momentan in dieser Phase nicht möglich.
01:38It is estimated that around 15.000 doctors of Syrian origin work in Germany, about 7.000 of them without German citizenship.
01:47According to the German Medical Association, they've become an indispensable part of the country's healthcare system. Like Amar say his colleagues.
01:55With his medical skills, Amar also wants to help rebuild Syria. But for now he believes, he can do more from Germany.
02:02With his medical skills, Amar also wants to help rebuild Syria. But for now he believes, he can do more from Germany.
02:17We are currently organizing a second conference and a humanitarian initiative in South Syria, where we operate over 100 patients.
02:28We can organize that with the spending here. From our position as doctors who work in Germany, we can help more than what we live and live in this time.
02:40Amar Jabour can't go back at the moment. But what he wishes for Germany is a constructive and fair debate on migration, so people like him can feel they belong.
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