Arab, Syrian in Germany

Introduction / History

The Assad family ruled Syria since 1971. Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad seemed like he might allow for more freedom, but censorship and surveillance continued to be the norm after he took office in 2000. Higher expectations came during the Arab Spring in the early 2010s and Syrians became dissatisfied with their government. The Sunni Muslim majority rebelled against the Assads, who are part of the minority Alawite religion. Demonstrations led to an all-out civil war in 2011. Refugees fled in record numbers, mainly to Europe.
Syrian Arabs arrived in southern European countries like Greece, only to find that the poor economy would not sustain them. From there, Syrian Arab refugees fanned out to the north, especially to Germany and Sweden, two countries with pro-refugee policies. Others went to Belgium, Finland, Denmark, France, the UK, and other parts of northern Europe in the mid 2010s.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Germany has a disproportionate number of Syrian Arab refugees. This country has an aging population, and they need young workers to replace retirees. Germany has been open to foreigners since the 1950s when they started to admit Turkish and Kurdish guest workers.
By the early 2020s, Syrian Arab refugees in Germany were still unable to return to Syria. Many want to become German citizens. The number of German citizens of Syrian descent increased in the early 2020s. In general, Germany allows Syrians and other refugees to become German citizens after they have been in the country for several years.
There are ethnic Germans who feel Middle Eastern refugees are a threat to their culture and jobs. Some Germans feel overwhelmed by the high number of Middle Eastern immigrants.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Syrians in Germany might be part of the Alawite religion, an offshoot of Shia Islam. The majority are Sunni Muslim. There are also Christians among the Syrians. These Christians are usually Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox or Roman Catholic. There are a small number of Protestants as well.
Though there is more freedom of religion in Syria than most Arab majority country, the Syrians have found more freedom to choose their own spiritual answers in tolerant Europe. People are far more likely to make spiritual changes when they arrive in a new situation than they are when they get settled.

What Are Their Needs?

Syrian Arabs in Germany need to learn German and prepare to become permanent members of German society. Many of the Syrians were qualified for high paying jobs in Syria but they need additional job and language training. Christ followers can help them obtain these essential skills and gain a hearing with Syrians who need the comfort of knowing Jesus Christ.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Holy Spirit to revive the Syrian churches, leading them to make disciples who make more disciples to follow Christ will all their hearts.
Pray for their fellowships to be Christ centered rather than tradition centered.
Pray there will soon come a day when Syrian Arabs will send loving workers to the unreached people groups in Syria.
Pray for spiritual hunger and a discernment that will keep them away from spiritual counterfeits.

Text Source:   Joshua Project