Last year, 5,976 Syrians applied for voluntary repatriation to Syria, which was funded by the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), submitting all the necessary documents. Of these, 3,678 of them have already gone back to their war-torn home country.
For German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, this is proof of the migration policy that he has been promoting. “Those who have no prospect of staying receive targeted support for their voluntary repatriation.”
This “targeted support” includes the cost of the flights and €1,000 (ca. $1200) per adult and €500 for minors. BAMF relaunched the program for Syria a year ago, after it had been suspended because of the war in the Middle Eastern country. The number of people wanting to return has increased since the ouster of dictator Bashar Assad at the end of 2024.
In a press release, the BAMF wrote: “A total of 16,576 people have been helped to return to their country of origin or a third country willing to accept them. This represents a significant increase in the number of departures compared to the previous year, when 10,358 people left the country. In 2025, the majority of voluntary departures were to the countries of origin Turkey, Syria, the Russian Federation, Georgia and Iraq.”
Read more via DW
