Germany has launched a "Rückführungsoffensive" — a repatriation drive combining cash incentives and tougher legal measures to encourage or compel returns of up to about one million refugees, mainly Syrians (≈700,000) and Afghans (≈400,000). The state package offers up to €1,000 per person (capped at €4,000 per family), travel allowances and flight costs, but take-up has been limited so far (Bild reports 2,869 Syrians, ~0.4%). The coalition also proposes expanded detention, possible "permanent detention" for serious offenders and negotiations with the Taliban on deportations — moves that have sparked legal, political and human-rights concerns and exposed divisions inside the government.
Inside Germany’s 'Rückführungsoffensive': Berlin’s Plan to Repatriate up to a Million Refugees
Germany has launched a "Rückführungsoffensive" — a repatriation drive combining cash incentives and tougher legal measures to encourage or compel returns of up to about one million refugees, mainly Syrians (≈700,000) and Afghans (≈400,000). The state package offers up to €1,000 per person (capped at €4,000 per family), travel allowances and flight costs, but take-up has been limited so far (Bild reports 2,869 Syrians, ~0.4%). The coalition also proposes expanded detention, possible "permanent detention" for serious offenders and negotiations with the Taliban on deportations — moves that have sparked legal, political and human-rights concerns and exposed divisions inside the government.
04:43, 06.11.2025Politics
Germany launches a large-scale "Rückführungsoffensive"
When Angela Merkel opened Germany’s borders in 2015 and welcomed roughly a million refugees, she helped define a postwar Willkommenskultur — an ethos of hospitality toward newcomers. A decade later, Berlin has adopted a very different term and tone: Rückführungsoffensive, literally a repatriation offensive, reflecting a marked shift in migration policy.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said Germany was "overwhelmed" by refugees, and his government has drawn up plans to substantially increase returns to countries of origin. Officials are preparing a programme that could affect up to about one million people by combining financial incentives to leave with tougher legal measures for those who remain.
The government is particularly focused on two groups: an estimated 700,000 Syrians and about 400,000 Afghans who currently hold refugee status in Germany. The coalition’s approach mixes generous return packages with legal pressure — a carrot-and-stick strategy intended to boost voluntary departures and speed up removals.
Mr Merz recently told Syrians without German citizenship they must return to Syria or face deportation, asserting that the Syrian civil war has subsided sufficiently to permit repatriations. For Afghans, Berlin has started negotiations with the Taliban on a framework that could allow regular deportation flights for asylum seekers with criminal convictions.
What the returns package offers
The state-run returns programme pays a lump sum of up to €1,000 per person (capped at €4,000 per family), covers the cost of flights and reimburses medical expenses incurred within three months of return. Additional travel allowances proposed include €200 for adults and €100 for under-18s. Officials say the package is more comprehensive than the UK’s voluntary returns scheme, which offers a single payment of up to £3,000 on a card limited for use in the returnee’s home country.
Despite official messaging that the service is in demand — the returns website warns of a "high volume of applications" and longer waiting times — tabloid reporting indicates take-up has been modest. Figures obtained by Bild show 2,869 Syrians have used return schemes so far, roughly 0.4% of Syrians with refugee status in Germany.
Separately, the government has reportedly offered cash incentives to Afghans who are outside Germany to abandon their asylum claims: around 2,000 Afghans accepted onto a German refugee programme and stranded in neighbouring Pakistan were reportedly offered up to €6,500 to withdraw their applications and return to Afghanistan.
From incentives to enforcement
Where voluntary measures fail or where refugees commit crimes, the coalition plans tougher steps. Proposed measures include expanding the capacity of migrant detention centres and constructing new detention blocks in six of Germany’s 16 federal states that currently lack such facilities. A contested proposal in the coalition agreement would permit "permanent detention" of asylum seekers convicted of serious crimes, meaning they could face life-long imprisonment in Germany unless they accept deportation. The government has also discussed limiting legal aid for some rejected asylum seekers to speed up deportation hearings.
Political fallout and rights concerns
The repatriation offensive is politically popular with voters concerned about migration but has provoked strong criticism from rights groups and opened divisions within the governing coalition (CDU and SPD). Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul publicly challenged a hardline stance on Syria after visiting a heavily damaged Damascus suburb, saying "hardly anyone can live a truly dignified life" there and signalling concern about pressuring Syrians to return. Advocacy organisations such as Pro Asyl warn that returning Afghans to Taliban-controlled areas could expose them to risks including torture and death.
Critics accuse Mr Merz of using refugees as a political tool to blunt support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has gained ground in recent elections. Observers also question whether the coalition can deliver on its agenda amid internal disputes: other contentious proposals, such as a lottery-based conscription plan, have already been scaled back after opposition within the SPD.
Whether Germany’s new policy will substantially increase returns remains uncertain. Early take-up figures are low and legal, diplomatic and human-rights hurdles are significant — meaning the repatriation offensive may prove as complicated to implement as it is controversial to propose.