Germany’s Interior Ministry is reportedly considering offering Syrian refugees up to €8,000 (£6,800/$9,300) to return to their home country voluntarily, according to Focus magazine, which cited government sources.
The move comes as support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party — which has made migration a central issue in its campaign — continues to climb to record levels.
Germany became a leading destination for Syrians escaping the civil war during the 2014–2015 migrant crisis, following former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to pursue an open-door immigration policy.
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RT reports: More than 951,000 Syrians were living in Germany as of August 2025, according to the Interior Ministry’s data. Over 500,000 hold temporary residence permits tied to refugee or subsidiary protection status, while the number voluntarily returning to Syria remains relatively low, Focus reported on Wednesday.
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Roman Poseck, the interior minister of the central German state of Hesse, argued that even tens of thousands of euros given to each refugee to go home would be worth it in the long run since otherwise, much more would have to be spent on accommodation in Germany. Under the current system, voluntary return payments average around €1,000 ($1,163).
“Support payments in the four-figure range or sometimes even in the lower five-figure range would often still be a gain for the state when measured against the long-term costs of social benefits,” he told Focus.
Berlin is now rejecting 95% of all new asylum applications by Syrians, German media reported last month. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in March that up to 80% of Syrians living in Germany could return home over the next three years, later attributing the claim to Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who denied making the statement, calling the figure exaggerated.
Merz, who was recently rated Europe’s most unpopular leader, is facing growing pressure from the right. The AfD has emerged as Germany’s most popular party, surpassing the chancellor’s Christian Democratic Union in terms of public support, according to a poll last month. The right-wing party came out on top despite a boycott by all mainstream parties and accusations of extremism by its critics.
