In the central German state of Thuringia, Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party is hoping to lure former residents back to their "homeland" by offering a one-off payment of €5,000 for anyone who returns to live and work in the state.

The plan was approved at the CDU state conference in Giesa on Saturday as part of its package of proposals for the upcoming state elections, with party chief Mike Mohring saying it was “an invitation to come back home and shape the future here”.

Thuringia is one of several formerly East German states which has experienced an ongoing brain drain in the three decades since Germany’s reunification, with younger residents moving to the former West in search of job opportunities and higher wages.

According to government statistics, Thuringia's population has fallen by hundreds of thousands since reunification. The CDU has not said how many people it hopes will return under the bonus scheme.

While councils and state governments elsewhere in Europe have considered making payments to encourage immigration, most notably in Italy, the proposal is the first of its kind in Germany.