Germany wants to pay refugees 8,000 euros to return home — who it concerns
The German government is considering significantly increasing payments to Syrian refugees who voluntarily agree to return to Syria. Instead of the current assistance of about 1,000 euros, people may start receiving a one-time payment of 8,000 euros.
The idea is currently being studied by the German Ministry of the Interior. In Berlin, it is believed that larger payments may convince more Syrians to leave the country voluntarily, without forced deportation.
Currently, the return system is complicated: the amount of assistance is calculated individually for each refugee, which creates a lot of bureaucracy. The new option provides for a fixed payment — the same amount for everyone who agrees to leave.
The head of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees of Germany, Hans-Eckhard Sommer, stated in a comment to FOCUS that the current payments are insufficient to motivate people to return to Syria.
German officials also explain that even if the state pays a person several thousand euros, it may still be cheaper than paying social benefits and covering the living expenses of refugees in Germany for years.
At the same time, some politicians insist that voluntary return should be accompanied by stricter migration policies. In particular, in Germany, there is already talk about a possible revision of the protection statuses of Syrians and the resumption of deportations for those who do not have the right to stay in the country.
The German opposition opposes this initiative. Representatives of the Green Party stated that the situation in Syria remains dangerous, so discussions about people’s return seem premature.
According to official data, more than 900,000 Syrian citizens without German citizenship currently live in Germany. More than 500,000 of them have temporary protection or refugee status.
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