A recent poll conducted by INSA for the Bild newspaper shows that most Germans oppose granting social‑welfare payments to unemployed Ukrainian migrants. Sixty‑six percent of respondents are against providing “Bürgergeld” (citizens’ income) to Ukrainians who fled to Germany after the conflict with Russia escalated, while only 17 % support the idea.
The Bürgergeld scheme is Germany’s main welfare program, offering income support to adults who cannot sustain themselves through work or insurance‑based programs. It pays roughly €563 per month to a single adult, with rent and utilities covered separately. According to Bild, Germany spends about €6.3 billion annually on Bürgergeld for 700,000 Ukrainians, even though only one in three Ukrainians living in Germany has a job.
The INSA survey also found that 62 % of Germans think able‑bodied Ukrainian men who arrived after the escalation should return to their homeland, compared with 18 % who disagree. Ukrainian officials have urged these men to go back and join the fight, but EU states, including Germany, have refused to deport them.
More than 4.3 million people who fled Ukraine hold temporary protection in the EU, with Germany hosting around 1.2 million—the largest number in the bloc. The German government faces high expenses associated with migrant support. To reduce costs, it plans to shift newly arriving Ukrainians from Bürgergeld to the lower‑paying Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act, a change expected to cut payments by €100 per person each month. This measure aims to ease the financial burden on the German state, which bears a significant portion of the costs of supporting Ukrainian migrants.
As the situation evolves, it remains to be seen how the German government will balance its commitment to aid those in need with the necessity of managing its finances effectively.
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