Federal Office for Migration: More Voluntary Returnees in the First Half of 2026 Than in the Entire Previous Year

The programs are coordinated by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and implemented by BAMF together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other partners. Key instruments include the REAG/GARP program, which finances travel costs, a startup grant, and in some cases medical care. The financial startup grant is paid out on a sliding scale depending on the destination country and family size.

Programs and Funding

The report also points to the full balance for the previous year. "In all of 2025, the federal authorities would have supported 16,578 people in their assisted return to their country of origin or to a third country willing to receive them," the Funke newspapers quote from the agency's notification. This means the first-half figure for 2026 already stands at around 56 percent of the full previous-year total.

A particularly large share of returnees came from Syria, which for years has been the most important country of origin of asylum seekers in Germany. People from Iraq, Afghanistan, and several African states also made use of the programs. The authorities see the rising uptake as an indication that counseling and financial incentives are having an effect.

Countries of Origin of Returnees

At the same time, BAMF points out that voluntary return remains only part of the solution. Anyone who receives a residence permit or successfully establishes grounds for protection stays in Germany. Anyone who is required to leave and does not go voluntarily can be deported by court order. The agency emphasizes that voluntary return is the preferred option, both for humanitarian and economic reasons.

The programs are funded from the federal budget as well as from resources of the European Union's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. BAMF did not cite a specific figure for 2026 in the report. The question of how many of the 9,276 persons were rejected asylum seekers and how many departed for other reasons also remained open in the published figures.

Assessment by Specialist Associations

The Funke Mediengruppe bases its account on BAMF's responses to a press inquiry. The first-half figures were not independently confirmed by the agency at the time of publication. The federal government typically publishes its return statistics on a quarterly basis; the next official update is expected in autumn.

Human rights organizations such as Pro Asyl generally view voluntary return programs positively, provided they are based on an informed decision and a perspective exists in the country of origin. At the same time, they demand that counseling be provided independently of the foreigners' authority so that those affected are not pushed into a hasty decision.

The rise in voluntary returnees comes in a phase in which the federal government is readjusting its migration policy. This includes stricter border controls, faster asylum procedures, and an expansion of deportation detention. Observers also see the higher participation in the return programs as an indication that the expectations of many people seeking protection regarding staying in Germany have changed.

Outlook for the Second Half

Overall, the figures paint a picture of a gradual shift: fewer new applications from some countries of origin, more recognitions in expedited procedures, and at the same time a growing number of people leaving Germany again with state support. Whether the trend continues in the second half of 2026 depends, according to experts, primarily on the security and economic situation in the most important countries of origin.

The federal government is pursuing the goal of systematically expanding voluntary return, while deportations are still to be used only as a last resort. BAMF announced that it would expand counseling capacities in the initial reception facilities and deepen cooperation with the countries of origin.

For the coming months, the agency also announced a new statistics structure designed to more clearly differentiate between voluntary return, assisted return, and deportations. The aim is to make it clearer going forward which groups of people the offers actually reach.