Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that he and the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hope that 80% of the Syrians in Germany will return home in the next three years. During the civil war in Syria, almost a million Syrians sought refuge in Germany. Speaking after a meeting with Sharaa in Berlin, Chancellor Merz said that more than a year after the end of the war, the situation in Syria had "now changed fundamentally" and that "the need for protection must therefore be reassessed". But there was little detail as to how the returns would come about. Merz's government has taken a tougher line on refugees and migrants as support for the anti-immigration AfD party has surged. He said initially the priority would be returning "those who no longer have a valid residence rights", especially criminal offenders. But he said more would follow.…