BAMF: 9,276 left Germany voluntarily in six months
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees confirmed on Monday that 9,276 people left Germany voluntarily through federal return programmes between January and the end of June. That is roughly 26 percent more than the 7,348 who left in the same period last year, and it continues a sharp rise that began in 2025, when 16,578 people used the schemes across the full year, against 10,358 in 2024.
Syria was the most common destination, with 2,843 people returning there, followed closely by Turkey with 2,815. Russia accounted for 530, Colombia 486 and Iraq 362. For readers from Syria and Turkey in particular, this means the largest share of these departures involves your own communities. Funded return to Syria has only been on offer again since January 2025, after being suspended during the civil war.
The programme behind these numbers is REAG/GARP. It covers the cost of the flight and pays a start-up sum of 1,000 euros for each adult and 500 euros for each child or young person. Anyone considering it should understand clearly what it is and what it is not: it is aimed at people who are under an obligation to leave, and taking it means giving up your residence in Germany. At the end of June, 258,845 people in the country were formally required to leave, and 199,271 of them held a Duldung, meaning removal had been suspended rather than cancelled. Separately, federal and state authorities carried out 18,939 deportations in the first half of the year.
Refugee organisations have pushed back on the word "voluntary". Their argument is that many people accept a return package under real pressure, with the alternative being forced removal, and that a decision taken in those circumstances is not a free one.
If you hold a Duldung or have had an asylum claim rejected, get independent legal advice before signing anything. A migration counselling service or a refugee council can tell you whether your case still has options in Germany, and that conversation is worth having before you accept a return offer.