Apparently, those who have fled their homes "are to be expropriated and lose everything, on a flimsy pretext". It can be assumed that the aim is to make it more difficult for refugees to return, said deputy government spokesperson Ulrike Demmer.

The Syrian regime is requiring owners of land and property to provide evidence of ownership where this is not recorded in the state land register. Otherwise the property can be written over to the state or auctioned off. This would affect internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Syrians who have fled to neighbouring countries or Europe, including Germany.

UN Security Council called on

"We must not stand by and watch the regime." To prevent such a cynical step, the United Nations Security Council must address this issues, stressed Ulrike Demmer.

The spokesperson of the Federal Foreign Office added that the law is a political matter and that the German government is resisting it "with all available means". Germany is in contact with the other EU member states on this matter.

At the donor conference for Syria this week Germany pledged additional assistance totalling one billion euros for 2018 and the following years. This sum is to be used for concrete assistance for the suffering people in Syria and the region.