€500,000: What One Syrian Family Cost the German State
18th December 2025
A large Syrian family from Stuttgart has cost the German state of Baden-Württemberg more than €500,000 in imprisonment and repatriation expenses, according to a response from the state Justice Ministry to a parliamentary inquiry by the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
Authorities investigated around 20 family members in connection with approximately 160 criminal offences, the ministry said. In October, 17 members of the family left Germany in what officials described as a “controlled departure.” The costs associated with their exit—including flights, subsidies, and document fees—amounted to €45,228.57.
The ministry said allowing the individuals to remain in Germany would have resulted in significantly higher costs, adding that their departure was considered both the “most economic solution” and the only way to end their stay. According to public broadcaster SWR, the family members held either refugee status or subsidiary protection.
Much higher costs were incurred through earlier prison sentences. Based on a daily incarceration cost of €180, the imprisonment of five family members resulted in expenses of €478,228, according to the ministry’s figures.
UPDATE: 38 Arrivals a Day: Germany Continues Bringing Afghans to the Country