Germany considers raising financial incentives for Syrians returning voluntarily
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Germany’s Interior Ministry is considering a proposal to increase financial assistance for Syrians willing to return voluntarily to their home country to as much as €8,000, the German-language news magazine Focus said on Wednesday.
This move aims at encouraging more refugees to leave Germany and return to Syria, according to Focus magazine, citing government sources.
Under the current system, returning Syrians receive support averaging around €1,000 to help them restart their lives. However, the German government is now reviewing voluntary return programs and considering a significant increase in assistance payments.
According to the report, the existing support mechanism involves complex administrative procedures, with aid amounts determined individually for each applicant, increasing the organizational burden associated with the program.
Migration law expert Daniel Thym said higher financial incentives could provide a stronger motivation for Syrians to choose voluntary return. However, he argued that financial assistance alone would not be sufficient, calling for additional measures including deportations and a reassessment of the legal protection status granted to some refugees.
Meanwhile, Roman Poseck, Interior Minister of the German state of Hesse, said offering larger sums—even several thousand euros—would still cost the state less than the long-term financial burden associated with social welfare payments.
According to Focus, more than 900,000 Syrians currently live in Germany without German citizenship, including more than half a million people holding temporary residency permits.
Germany suspended deportations to Syria following the outbreak of the conflict in 2011 for security and humanitarian reasons. However, the ruling coalition later pledged to resume the return of certain Syrians, beginning with individuals convicted of crimes or classified as threats to public security. The first deportation operations were reportedly carried out in December 2025 and January 2026.
Last March, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a joint press conference with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa that Berlin was prepared to support Syria’s reconstruction and work toward the return of a significant number of Syrians over the coming years.
A study by the INSA Institute for Social Research also found that more than 60 percent of Germans support the government’s approach regarding the return of Syrians to their country.