German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has announced that the number of Ukrainian refugees entering Germany is now lower than before, at only 2,000 people a day.
Minister Faeser also revealed that on May 14, the number dropped from 15,000 in mid-March, when the war in Ukraine was only a few weeks old.
According to Minister Faeser, most Ukrainian refugees may eventually return to Ukraine.
“Some will stay if people see the chance to find their feet in the German labour market with their qualifications,” she pointed out.
According to the Interior Ministry data revealed on May 14, more than 700,000 Ukrainian refugees have been registered to the German authorities since the war started in Ukraine. About 40 per cent of them are minors, and a little more than 80 per cent are women.
On April 7, German leaders agreed on a package aimed at helping federal states integrate and accommodate Ukrainian refugees.
Deutsche Welle also reported that German heads of state agreed that Ukrainian refugees currently in Germany should receive a similar level of support as the beneficiaries of the Hartz IV welfare program, otherwise known as unemployment benefits.
According to Germany’s Hartz IV welfare program, an average of about €400 per month is offered to each person. This means that refugees from Ukraine will soon be able to receive such an amount, whereas, at the same time, Scholz revealed that this scheme would start operating from June 1.
Germany already has a solid basic social security system, making it easier for Ukrainians to integrate and stay in Germany. Thus, Ukrainian refugees will have access to more resources while staying in Germany and, at the same time, will have easier access to health care institutions, employment centres and German language courses.
Moreover, according to the United Nations, more than 12 million people are believed to have fled their homes in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Slightly more than six million have fled to neighbouring countries, and another 6.5 million are thought to have been displaced within the war-torn country itself.
Whereas the neighbouring countries with Ukraine, which have accepted the most refugees, are listed as follows:
- Poland with (3,357,984)
- Romania with (919,574)
- Russian Federation with (838,434)
- Hungary with (605,628)
- The Republic of Moldova with (463,348)
- Slovakia with (421,662)
- Belarus with (27,308)
Opening their doors, these countries, together with Germany, have also provided Temporary Protection, which provides temporary assistance to those fleeing the war, giving them residence permits and access to education and the labour market.
