Thousands of people in Germany with rejected asylum applications or with little prospect of a successful asylum procedure received financial support from the public sector this year for their voluntary departure from the Federal Republic. By the end of October, 8,263 people had left Germany and received a financial incentive for doing so.
Through the REAG/GARP program (Reintegration and Emigration Program for Asylum Seekers in Germany/Government Assisted Repatriation Program), needy migrants can receive money, for example for plane and bus tickets or medical support. According to the information, the approved funding for the program this year amounts to more than 8.2 million euros.
It is unclear who bears what costs
It is currently not possible to indicate how much of the cost has been borne by the federal and state governments, according to a government response to a parliamentary question. According to the information, this is due to the fact that under certain circumstances the EU covers most of the costs of leaving the country. The federal and state governments would then only have to bear five percent of the costs. Deportations are usually considerably more expensive than voluntary departure.
Many registrations, longer waiting times
According to official information, due to the large number of applications, there may currently be longer waiting times for the processing of corresponding applications. According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, there is no legal right to financing.
The number of financially supported departures is slightly higher than last year. In 2023, there were approximately 8,460 approved applications by mid-November, as shown by the response to a request from members of the left in the Bundestag at the time.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
