Eight thousand asylum seekers, whose applications were either rejected or deemed unlikely to be accepted, benefited from the voluntary return funding program. This information was provided by the federal government in response to a request from a member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the Bundestag. According to the government’s response, the total number of voluntary returnees reached 8,263 by October of this year.
Under the government-assisted voluntary return program, asylum seekers who choose to leave voluntarily can receive reimbursement for expenses such as airline tickets, bus fares, or medical support. This year, the federal government allocated 8.2 million euros to support this program. However, neither the federal government nor the state governments have disclosed the specific amounts paid for voluntary departures. In many instances, the European Union covers these costs, and the federal government contributes only 5% of the departure expenses for cases funded by the EU.
The voluntary return program has led to an increase in asylum seekers requesting voluntary departure, as the federal government encourages this option to help reduce the high costs of deportations. However, this surge in requests has created a backlog that needs to be processed. It’s important to note that funding for voluntary departure is not a legal right, and according to federal government figures, 8,460 asylum seekers’ departure requests were approved in 2023.
In Baden-Württemberg, over 1,000 individuals received financial assistance this year to leave Germany. Additionally, from the beginning of 2024 until last October, more than 1,251 rejected asylum seekers voluntarily departed from the state. According to federal government figures, Baden-Württemberg ranks third in voluntary departures, following Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia. However, it receives the lowest funding for voluntary departures among the 16 states.
AfD member Leif-Erik Holm advocated for expanding the voluntary return program as a means to cut the high costs associated with deportation. He emphasized, “We must seize every opportunity to encourage rejected asylum seekers and other foreigners who need to leave the country. This approach is more cost-effective than offering full support to individuals residing here.”
The Federal Ministry of the Interior reports that the government has requested funding from the European Asylum and Migration Fund to cover 90 percent of the expenses related to voluntary departures. However, it is challenging to assess whether the costs for voluntary departures have risen this year compared to last year because of the current funding year.
