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This year, more than 8,000 migrants received financial support for their voluntary departure from Germany. This is made possible by a million dollar program from federal, state and EU governments. According to advocates, it is worth using them.
If migrants have little hope of asylum or if their applications have even been rejected, they can apply for money to help them return home. In 2024 this has happened a thousand times. This emerges from a response from the federal government to a request from AfD member of the Bundestag Leif-Erik Holm.
By the end of October, 8,263 people had left Germany and received financial assistance from a matching federal and state funding program. Through the REAG / GARP program (Reintegration and Emigration Program for Asylum Seekers in Germany / Government-Assisted Return Program), poor migrants can receive money, for example for plane and bus tickets or medical assistance.
Exporting is more expensive than leaving
According to the information, the approved funding for the program this year amounts to more than 8.2 million euros. It is not possible to say at this time how much of the costs were borne by the federal and state governments.
According to the information, this is because the EU in certain circumstances 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. Deportation is usually much more expensive than voluntary departure.
There is no legal right to funding
According to official information, due to the high number of applications, there may be longer waiting times for the processing of corresponding applications. According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, there is no legal entitlement to funding. The number of departures with financial support is slightly higher than in the previous year.
In 2023, around 8,460 applications were approved by mid-November, as evidenced by the response to a request from left-wing members of the Bundestag at the time. “We should use every opportunity to persuade rejected asylum seekers and other foreigners who are obliged to leave the country to leave the country,” asked MP Holm AfD. That’s more cheaper than providing “full supplies” to the people of the country.
2024-11-24 09:27:00
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## Open-Ended Questions for Discussion:
This article presents several important points about voluntary departures for migrants facing deportation. To encourage a nuanced and insightful discussion, here are some open-ended questions divided into thematic sections:
**I. Costs and Funding:**
* The article states deportation is more expensive than voluntary departures.
* What are the potential reasons behind this cost difference?
* What are the ethical implications of prioritizing cost-effectiveness over other factors in migration policies?
* Should the higher cost of deportation influence policy decisions regarding migrant handling?
*
* The EU funds a significant portion of voluntary return programs.
* What are the implications of relying on external funding for managing migration?
* Does this create dependencies and potentially limit national autonomy in developing immigration policies?
**II. Voluntary Departure Programs:**
* The article mentions that there is no legal entitlement to funding for voluntary departures.
* What are the arguments for and against making this type of funding a right?
* How could the accessibility and transparency of these programs be improved?
*
* Do you think offering financial incentives influences an individual’s decision to leave voluntarily?
* What are the potential ethical concerns surrounding using financial incentives in this context?
**III. Perspectives and Impacts:**
* The article quotes an MP from the AfD party advocating for voluntary departures as a cost-effective solution.
* How do different political parties and ideologies approach the issue of migrant departures?
* Is framing the discussion primarily in terms of financial costs appropriate?
* What are the psychological and social impacts on migrants who choose voluntary departure?
* What support systems could be put in place to ease the transition for those leaving?
**IV. Broader Context:**
* How do the themes discussed in this article relate to broader debates about migration, asylum, and integration policies?
* What are the underlying social, economic, and political factors contributing to the increase in migrant departures?
* What are alternative solutions to managing migration flows that go beyond deportation and voluntary departure programs?
By utilizing these open-ended questions and dividing the discussion into thematic sections, you can facilitate a multifaceted and thought-provoking conversation about the complex issue of voluntary migrant departures.
