Actually they weren't forced to return to Germany. They did return to Europe where 288 were allowed to enter the UK, 224 to enter France, 214 to enter Belgium, and 181 to enter the Netherlands. That was before the outbreak of the war when no one knew that France, Belgium, and the Netherlands would soon become unsafe for Jews.
It is estimated that 709 of the passengers survived and 227 died. No help to FDR. Apparently the Dominican Republic was willing to accept the Jews but for some reason the captain did not try to go there after being turned away by Cuba.