At least 464 Syrian refugees have returned home from Germany this month, a spokesman for the office for migration and refugees told dpa on Wednesday.

Confirming a report in the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel, the spokesman said the returnees had accepted state assistance that has been available to Syrians since January 13.

The option had not been available until the end of the civil war in Syria.

The assistance is for travel costs and setting up in Syria, with setting-up costs set at a maximum of €1,000 ($1,130) per person.

The number of Syrian refugees in Germany is around 1 million.