Some 500 Migrants Voluntarily Return to Iraq From Germany Monthly

On average, 500 Iraqi refugees have voluntarily returned home from Germany each month since September, despite having already received, or being in line to be granted, refugee status, Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery Peter Altmaier, who also acts as refugee coordinator, said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Altmaier, the reason for the steady outflow of Iraqi refugees is the weakening position of Daesh terrorists in Iraq.

"From September to February, more than 3,000 Iraqi refugees voluntarily returned to Iraq," Altmaier said in an interview with the Rheinische Post newspaper.

"They [refugees] want to participate in the revival of their homeland after the Daesh terrorist organization lost territory and influence there," Altmaier said.

Germany has become a key destination for migrants fleeing war and poverty. The country’s interior ministry estimates that Germany received around 1.1 million asylum applications last year alone.