The number of voluntary departures by migrants and rejected asylum seekers has significantly increased. According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf), a total of 9,276 people returned to their home countries through federal return programs in the first half of 2026.
This marks a substantial rise in voluntary returns. For comparison, only 7,348 people used the voluntary return subsidy program (REAG/GARP) in the first half of 2025. Furthermore, during the entirety of 2025, federal authorities supported 16,578 people returning to their country of origin or to a third country. This figure was up from 10,358 supported in 2024.
Meanwhile, data from the Central Foreigner Register shows that as of late June 2026, 258,845 people in Germany were legally obliged to leave. Of this total, 199,271 were granted a tolerated stay, which includes 3,157 with educational tolerance permits and 1,613 with employment tolerance permits, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Between January and the end of June, authorities in both the federal government and the states deported 18,939 people-a process that involved police force for some, while incentives and federal funding were used for others.
The federal government uses the “REAG-GARP program” to financially aid the voluntary return of refugees to their home countries or to third countries. The federal office covers flight costs and provides a form of “start aid.” Individuals aged 18 and over receive €1,000, while children and adolescents receive €500. Since January 2025, Bamf has once again offered this subsidized voluntary departure option for Syria, a country where the program had been paused previously due to the civil war.
