Germany mulls paying Syrians $9,300 to return home – media reports

(SeaPRwire) –   Voluntary repatriation payments offered to migrants could see an eightfold increase, Focus reports.

Germany’s Interior Ministry is reportedly contemplating offering Syrian refugees as much as €8,000 ($9,300) for voluntary repatriation, according to Focus magazine, which cited government sources. This proposal emerges amid record-high support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, known for its strong stance on migration issues.

During the 2014-2015 migrant crisis, Germany became a primary destination for Syrians escaping civil war, following then-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s implementation of an open-door migration policy.

As of August 2025, over 951,000 Syrians resided in Germany, based on Interior Ministry figures. More than 500,000 of these individuals possess temporary residence permits linked to refugee or subsidiary protection, yet the rate of voluntary returns to Syria remains comparatively low, Focus noted on Wednesday.

Roman Poseck, the interior minister for the central German state of Hesse, contended that providing even tens of thousands of euros to each refugee for their return would prove cost-effective in the long term, as significantly higher expenses would otherwise be incurred for accommodation within Germany. Currently, voluntary return payments average approximately €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 informed Focus.

German media reported last month that Berlin is now rejecting 95% of all new asylum requests from Syrians. In March, Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that up to 80% of Syrians residing in Germany could return home within the next three years, a claim he later attributed to Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who subsequently denied the statement and labeled the figure as exaggerated.

Merz, recently identified as Europe’s most unpopular leader, is experiencing increasing pressure from the political right. A poll last month indicated that the AfD has become Germany’s most popular party, exceeding the public support for the chancellor’s Christian Democratic Union. This right-wing party achieved its leading position despite facing boycotts from all mainstream parties and accusations of extremism from its detractors.