In Germany, discussions are underway about cutting social assistance for refugees from Ukraine

Margarita Kravchenko
Margarita Kravchenko Journalist
In Germany, discussions are underway about cutting social assistance for refugees from Ukraine
Ukrainian ambassador to Germany criticizes calls to cancel social benefits.

The Premier of Bavaria, Markus Söder, called for the abolition of social assistance "Bürgergeld" (from German Bürgergeld – money for citizens) for Ukrainian refugees, which is provided to those seeking employment or whose income is insufficient for self-sufficiency. He stated this on the air of the ZDF channel.

According to Söder, measures need to be taken so that "Ukrainians no longer receive 'Bürgergeld'." He believes that many Ukrainians do not want to find employment in Germany because of social benefits.

"That is why we have so few workers from Ukraine, even though they have a good education," – said the Bavarian Premier.

The channel also cites data indicating that in May 2025, the employment rate of Ukrainian citizens in Germany was 34.9% and is constantly increasing.

Additionally, the Prime Minister of the German federal state of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, advocated for reviewing the social assistance system, including for Ukrainian refugees.

Kretschmer's statement is quoted by t-online. The Saxon Premier believes that the rules for receiving social benefits should be changed "for our own citizens, for Germans, as well as for those who have come to us".

Kretschmer criticized the amount spent on social assistance, stating that Germany spends 47 billion euros on it.

"I think everyone understands that this cannot be right. This number should be reduced," – noted the Saxon Premier.

In the context of Ukrainian refugees, he pointed to people who receive state aid but do not need it.

"And this, of course, particularly concerns those seeking protection, because we have comparisons with France, the Netherlands, Poland, and the Czech Republic regarding Ukrainian refugees. In all these countries, the proportion of people working is much higher than ours," – added Kretschmer.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Oleksiy Makeiev, responded to the calls of Bavarian Premier Markus Söder to cancel social benefits "Bürgergeld" for Ukrainian refugees.

He said this on the air of the radio Deutschlandfunk.

According to Makeiev, the statements of the head of the Christian Social Union and the Bavarian Premier about the need to deprive Ukrainian refugees of "Bürgergeld" are "difficult to understand".

The diplomat added that "the problem with financial aid is not with Ukrainians," and called not to make them "scapegoats".

 
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