ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 4,400 Syrians living in Germany have expressed willingness to return to their country since the beginning of this year, a spokesperson for the German interior ministry said on Wednesday.
Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees “has received 2,424 applications for 4,452 persons regarding the country of origin Syria. So far, 2,132 persons have departed,” the spokesperson told Rudaw.
The voluntary return is part of the Federal-State Program REAG/GARP 2.0 which is a German humanitarian aid program that offers financial and logistical support to help migrants voluntarily return to their home country or relocate to a third country.
“This is an ongoing program for voluntary departures to a variety of countries of origin, which is not specifically designed for the country of origin Syria,” the spokesperson added.
The program offers up to 4,000 euros to families willing to return to their countries.
Germany is ramping up deportations, with hundreds of individuals being returned at its borders, sparking criticism from opposition parties over human rights concerns.
Germany is a popular destination for tens of thousands of Syrians who attempt to reach Europe each year, often through smuggling routes.
“REAG/GARP is a standard return program that has existed for over 40 years, through which the federal government and states financially and organizationally support destitute migrants in voluntary return to their country of origin or onward migration to a willing third country,” the German federal interior ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Kahi Mahmoud contributed to this article.