Ukrainian refugees in Germany to receive lower benefits

The ruling coalition has agreed on this reform, Ukrinform reports, citing Bild.

According to the outlet, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Social Affairs Minister Barbel Bas reached an agreement on the issue.

This means that all Ukrainians arriving in Germany after April 1, 2025, will be classified as asylum seekers — and will therefore receive lower payments due to this "change in legal status."

The decision effectively ends the special status granted to refugees from war-torn Ukraine nearly four years after Russia's full-scale invasion.

Initially, the government planned to retroactively revoke the basic unemployment benefit for Ukrainians already in Germany, but municipal and regional authorities opposed that move, calling it "too complicated."

Officials hope the change will encourage Ukrainians to seek employment more actively.

Currently, Ukrainians receive EUR 563 per month in basic unemployment benefit for a single person. The state also covers housing, heating, and utility costs.

Under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act, however, recipients receive EUR 196 for personal needs and EUR 245 for essential expenses such as food and clothing – a total of EUR 441 per month. These funds are credited to a special payment card, which can be used for purchases but does not allow cash withdrawals.

Around 1.2 million Ukrainians currently live in Germany, with their numbers rising recently – mainly due to an influx of young men under the age of 22.

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