Germany plans to lower benefits for newly arrived Ukrainian refugees, Reuters says

The German government has drafted a bill that would reduce social benefits for Ukrainians who have just arrived in the country, in line with agreements within the coalition.

Source: Reuters, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Under the draft law, Ukrainians arriving in Germany from 1 April 2025 will no longer receive Bürgergeld (from German – money for citizens). Instead, they will be granted lower-level assistance as asylum seekers.

The adoption of the law could lead to a reduction of around €100 per month for each Ukrainian refugee in Germany.

This decision would affect at least 21,000 Ukrainians – the number who entered Germany between 1 April and 30 June 2025.

The bill still needs to be approved by the German government and the upper house of parliament before it comes into effect.

Background:

• Germany has long debated what level of support Ukrainian refugees should receive. The coalition agreed that for those arriving from 1 April, the assistance would be reduced.
• Minister-President of Bavaria Markus Söder called for the exclusion of all Ukrainian refugees – not only new arrivals – from the programme for increased benefits.
• However, this proposal did not gain broad support among his coalition partners.

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