Berlin – November 03, 2026 -- Germany's planned 80 percent cut to independent asylum procedure counselling (AVB) risks costing the state more than it saves, according to a new analysis that puts the program's net economic benefit for 2025 at EUR 71.8 million.

The study finds the economic value of the counselling is four times the investment in the program. It was commissioned by six welfare organisations: AWO, the German Caritas Association (DCV), the German Red Cross (DRK), Diakonie Deutschland, the Paritätischer Gesamtverband and the Central Welfare Agency of Jews in Germany (ZWST).

Welfare federations demand reversal of 2027 federal budget cut

The umbrella organisations of the Free Welfare Associations call for the cut planned in the 2027 federal budget to be withdrawn and for the program to be secured over the long term. Achim Meyer auf der Heyde, president of the Federal Association of Free Welfare Associations (BAGFW), argued that cutting 80 percent of the funding risks saving in one place while spending considerably more elsewhere.

Social return runs 80 percent higher where protection claims exist

The analysis, titled "Beratung lohnt sich!", examines avoided costs and additional economic revenue generated by the counselling. The calculated social return is particularly high in cases where an entitlement to protection status exists: it is roughly 80 percent higher there than in cases without such an entitlement.

Early advice feeds decision-relevant information into proceedings

The AVB helps asylum seekers understand their procedure, exercise their rights and meet their duties to cooperate. According to the analysis, early counselling can help ensure that information relevant to the decision enters the procedure in time.

The study also describes independent counselling as a contribution to the quality of rule-of-law procedures. Where the conditions for protection are not met, this must likewise be established carefully and justified in a traceable manner.