Denmark has unveiled a significant financial incentive to encourage Syrian refugees to voluntarily return to their homeland. Under the repatriation program, adult refugees can receive up to 200,000 Danish crowns (€26,818), while children are eligible for 50,000 crowns (€6,700).
The initiative aims to bolster voluntary departures under Denmark’s existing repatriation law.
Since 2015, over 5,100 Syrians have left Denmark, including nearly 600 legal residents who returned to Syria with financial assistance since 2019. Social Democratic Integration Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek expressed optimism about the program’s impact. Speaking to Bild, Bek stated, “We hope even more people will take advantage of the offer.”
Denmark currently hosts approximately 45,000 individuals of Syrian origin, including 28,000 adults and 17,000 children. If all eligible Syrians accepted the financial offer, it could cost the Danish government an estimated €865 million. Despite the hefty potential price tag, officials argue it may be cheaper than supporting refugees who are unable to work. None of Denmark’s centrist political parties have opposed the €27,000 payout per adult.
The program has drawn mixed reactions both domestically and abroad. In Germany, CDU vice-president Jens Spahn proposed a similar initiative, suggesting free flights and €1,000 payments to encourage voluntary returns to Syria. However, his colleague Dennis Radtke expressed caution, highlighting the unpredictability of Syria’s current situation. “For humanitarian and economic reasons, we should not rush into handing out airline tickets,” Radtke said.
Radtke also claimed that Syrian men in Germany have above-average employment rates, though this was contradicted by recent data from the Federal Employment Agency. Nearly half of Syrians in Germany still rely on welfare benefits, or Bürgergeld, nearly a decade after arriving during the 2015 asylum wave. As of August 2024, 518,050 Syrian citizens in Germany were receiving state aid, underscoring ongoing integration challenges.
Denmark’s approach mirrors Austria’s, where €1,000 is offered to Syrians willing to leave voluntarily, along with travel assistance and help securing necessary documentation. Meanwhile, Sweden may adopt an even stricter stance. The Sweden Democrats, a right-wing party supporting the center-right government, have proposed revoking residence permits for Syrian refugees, arguing that refugee status should only be temporary.
As more European countries grapple with the economic and social challenges of refugee integration, Denmark’s policy raises questions about the balance between humanitarian responsibility and fiscal pragmatism.
