Voluntary departures of migrants are increasing

According to a media report, the number of migrants and rejected asylum seekers leaving the country voluntarily has increased. In the first half of the current year, 9,276 people returned to their homeland as part of federal return programs, the newspapers of the Funke media group reported, citing the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). In comparison, in the first half of 2025 there were almost 7,300 people who left voluntarily via the humanitarian return support program. According to the report, the supported voluntary return of foreigners obliged to leave the country had already increased significantly by 2025. In the entire year of 2025, the federal authorities supported around 16,600 people with a sponsored return to their country of origin or a third country that was willing to accept them. According to the information, in 2024 there were still 10,358 people. Almost 200,000 asylum seekers tolerated As the Funke newspapers also reported, according to the central register of foreigners, a total of 258,845 people were required to leave the country at the end of June 2026. Of these, 199,271 were tolerated. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the federal and state authorities deported a total of 18,939 people from Germany between January and the end of June, some with coercion by the police and another with incentives and support from the federal government. The BAMF promotes the voluntary return of refugees to their countries of origin or to third countries. The Federal Office covers flight costs for the departure and pays a “start-up aid” of 1,000 euros per adult and 500 euros for children and young people. Since January 2025, the BAMF has again been offering subsidized travel to Syria; the program was previously suspended due to the war in the country.