According to a report by Die Welt, only 20% of Ukrainian refugees who fled to Germany after the outbreak of the conflict with Russia are currently employed. Since February 2022, over 1 million Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Germany, but more than a year and a half later, four-fifths of them remain jobless.
The integration of Ukrainians into the German labor market has been slower compared to neighboring Poland and the Czech Republic, where around two-thirds of the refugees have found employment. One of the main reasons for this disparity, as claimed by Die Welt, is the generous financial aid provided by the German authorities. Ukrainian refugees in Germany can receive monthly payments of €502 ($537) indefinitely, in addition to having their living costs covered. This financial support results in a lack of motivation to seek employment.
In contrast, in Poland, monthly benefits for refugees are significantly lower, at just €66. Additionally, those living in collective accommodation are required to cover half of the costs after four months. The Czech authorities offer financial aid of €200, which decreases to €130 after five months.
Die Welt also highlighted that Ukrainians in Poland and the Czech Republic mostly work in low-paid jobs, while Germany follows a different strategy. Germany focuses on sending refugees, three-quarters of whom have university degrees, to six-month language and integration courses to help them find employment that matches their qualifications. However, the newspaper claimed that this strategy doesn’t seem to be working, citing data from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation think tank, which shows that the number of working refugees has only grown by 1% since October 2022.
The German bureaucracy is also blamed for the sluggish integration of Ukrainians into the job market. While other EU countries have swiftly removed legal obstacles for those fleeing the conflict, Germany insists on time-consuming security checks and other procedures. A survey by the Razumkov Center, a Ukrainian pollster, revealed that almost half of Ukrainians said they encountered bureaucratic problems during registration in Germany.
According to UN data, there have been 5.8 million Ukrainian refugees recorded in Europe since the start of hostilities between Moscow and Kiev. Russia has taken in over 5.2 million Ukrainians, including 730,000 children, who fled the fighting, as reported by TASS earlier this year.
In conclusion, while Germany has provided generous financial aid to Ukrainian refugees, it has also resulted in low employment rates among them. The country’s strategy of focusing on language and integration courses for refugees with higher qualifications has not proven successful in increasing employment opportunities. The bureaucratic procedures in Germany have also posed obstacles for Ukrainian refugees in finding employment. With millions of Ukrainians seeking refuge across Europe, the challenges of integration and employment remain significant.
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