Germany plans lower social support for new Ukrainian arrivals
Ukrainian refugees in Germany will receive reduced social benefits (photo: Getty Images)
The German government has drafted a bill to reduce state benefits for newly arrived Ukrainian refugees, Reuters reports.
The draft law states that Ukrainian refugees arriving in Germany are covered by the provisions of the EU Temporary Protection Directive, which allows them to immediately receive social assistance without undergoing the asylum procedure.
At the same time, the document notes that Ukrainians arriving in Germany from April 1, 2025, will no longer receive citizen's benefit (Bürgergeld) but will instead receive payments under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act.
This change will reduce support by 100 euros (116 dollars) per month per person.
To come into force by the end of the year, the draft law must be approved by the Federal Government and the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat.
The agency reminded that debates over the level of support for Ukrainian refugees have been ongoing in Germany for some time, as the country seeks to reduce spending in the social sector.
On August 3, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder called for all Ukrainian refugees, not just new arrivals, to be excluded from higher benefit payments.
About 1.25 million Ukrainian refugees currently live in Germany. According to government data, between April 1 and June 30, 2025, around 21,000 people arrived in the country for the first time due to the Russian invasion.
As of July 2025, approximately 64.1% of Ukrainians registered with the Federal Employment Agency were unemployed. This includes both job seekers and those attending courses or receiving employment assistance.
The German government has announced plans to tighten the rules for receiving social assistance for the unemployed. Ukrainian refugees may also be affected by these restrictions.
The new government, led by Friedrich Merz, plans to reduce the number of asylum applications to 100,000 per year, as the country's infrastructure can no longer cope with the high number of refugees.
