Statistics speak against depriving Ukrainians of social benefits in Germany - Ukrainian ambassador

Germany's social payments to Ukrainian refugees amount to EUR 6.3 billion per year, while the total amount of such payments in the country is EUR 46.9 billion, noted Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Oleksiy Makeyev on the X social network after Bavarian Prime Minister and head of the Christian Social Union (CSU) from the ruling coalition Markus Söder spoke out over the weekend in favor of abolishing such payments.

"More than 1 million Ukrainians have found their shelter here in Germany. Some 70% of them are women and children. More than 30% of Ukrainians are already working in Germany. Sometimes statistics are the best argument," the Ukrainian ambassador noted.

According to Söder, aid payments hinder integration into the labor market: despite a good education and skills, many Ukrainians do not find work.

"We must ensure that there are no more payments for anyone who came from Ukraine. This should not only apply to those who come in the future, but to everyone," he said on ZDF on Sunday.

According to official figures, Germany spent EUR 22.2 billion on payments to foreigners under the Bürgergeld program in 2024, and EUR 24.7 billion on German citizens. Söder intends to push for changes within the government coalition, although his proposal goes beyond the previously agreed plan.

According to Eurostat, at the end of May this year, 1.9 million refugees from Ukraine had temporary protection status in Germany, which is 27.9% of the total EU figure. Over the year, the number of refugees from Ukraine with this status decreased by 139,680.