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BERLIN (AP) \u2014 Germany\u2019s foreign minister is warning anyone involved in atrocities for the ousted Syrian government<\/a> against seeking refuge in her country, saying they would face \u201cthe full force of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n Germany has been a major destination for Syrian refugees over the past decade, and several hundred thousand Syrian nationals live there<\/a>. In rulings since 2021, former Syrian secret police officers already have been convicted<\/a> in Germany for overseeing or facilitating the abuse of detainees.<\/p>\n \u201cTo any of (former President Bashar) Assad\u2019s torturers who might be considering fleeing to Germany now, I can only say clearly: We will bring all the regime\u2019s henchmen to account for their terrible crimes with the full force of the law,\u201d Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told Sunday\u2019s edition of the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.<\/p>\n See for yourself \u2014 The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Baerbock called for international security authorities and intelligence services to work closely together.<\/p>\n Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said Germany is \u201cextremely vigilant\u201d and pointed to border checks that the country already has put in place on its frontiers as it tries to reduce irregular migration.<\/p>\n She told Bild am Sonntag that \u201cno one who participated in atrocities is safe from prosecution here.\u201d She said the convictions already handed down show that Germany pursues such crimes rigorously and should act as a deterrent against people involved in them going there.<\/p>\n More broadly, German officials have stressed that many well-integrated arrivals of recent years will be welcome to stay after the removal of Assad. That was followed by some talk of Syrians going home, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged in a video released Friday \u201cdeeply unsettled\u201d them.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone who is working here, who is well integrated, is and remains welcome in Germany,\u201d he said. \u201cThat goes without saying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome of the refugees hope they can soon return to their homeland. We will support that as soon as the situation allows,” he added. But \u201conly the coming days, weeks and months will show what direction Syria takes after Assad.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nTrusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox<\/h4>\n