German politician says Ukrainians need to work, deport those who don't
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Ukrainians living in Germany are granted a "citizen's benefit" of €563 ($610) a month, which is a lot more than they would receive in other EU nations, and isn't available to refugees from other nations.
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Christian Social Union of Bavaria parliamentary leader Alexander Dobrindt speaks during a general debate on the budget at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, January 31, 2024. (AP)
A senior politician of the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) called on the German government to provide employment chances to migrants from Ukraine and deport those who refuse to assimilate.
Alexander Dobrindt, the Chairman of the CSU Parliamentary Group in the Bundestag, told the German Bild on Saturday that Berlin has to review its social welfare policies and demand "stronger cooperation obligations for asylum seekers when it comes to taking up work".
As of March 2024, Eurostat estimated that approximately 1.3 million Ukrainian refugees were living in Germany, and national media stated that at least 250,000 of them were men between the ages of 18 and 60.
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Ukrainians living in Germany are granted a "citizen's benefit" of €563 ($610) a month, which is a lot more than they would receive in other EU nations and isn't available to refugees from other nations.
Take up work or leave
A Deutsche Welle survey from earlier this year. shows that a mere 20% of Ukrainian refugees in Germany are employed.
“More than two years after the start of the war, the principle must now apply: take up work in Germany or return to safe areas of western Ukraine,” Dobrindt said, adding, “There must be an offer of work and this must be part of an integration effort.”
Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria, stated last week that Berlin ought to provide incentives for Ukrainian males who are eligible for conscription to go back home.
It is worth noting that even in November 2022, a Washington Post poll revealed Germans' deep cultural aversion to military intervention in Ukraine.
According to a survey pool of 1,000 Germans - via the Internet - between September 14 and October 6, 2022, 91% of Germans said they had some sympathy for the Ukrainian people. However, the majority (54%) believe that their nation is either doing enough (37%) or too much (17%) to support Ukraine's military operations and its refugees.
Read more: Germany to provide Kiev with sniper rifles, strike drones, Patriots
