Since the start of the year, around 800 Syrians have voluntarily left Germany under official return programmes. According to preliminary figures as of 31 May, 1,208 applications covering 2,075 individuals were submitted to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), with 804 people having actually departed.
Given that approximately 960,000 Syrians currently live in Germany, these voluntary departures represent just 0.08 per cent of that population. By contrast, 13,431 new asylum applications from Syrians were registered during the same period—around 15 times more than the number who left.
The government clarified that these figures only cover those who applied for financial assistance to support their return. This support was granted for 87 departures in early 2024, rising to 141 by the end of May.
Authorities also reported 924 instances of Syrians travelling to their home country by May—almost reaching the 1,112 such trips recorded over the whole of last year. In each case, a review was launched to determine whether the individual’s protected status should be withdrawn.
While the previous federal government had considered allowing short-term visits to Syria without affecting asylum status, the current interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, has ruled this out.
A ministry spokesperson confirmed: “After thorough consideration, the Federal Ministry of the Interior has decided not to permit such travel without consequences.”
