Germany called for an end to benefits for male Ukrainian refugees after exorbitant annual costs were revealed
The Christian Social Union (CSU) party in Germany has called for the suspension of “Bürgergeld” social benefits for male Ukrainian refugees aged 18 to 63, who are of compulsory military service age.
Stefan Meyer, the party’s foreign policy spokesman, said that these individuals should not receive financial support from the German state, emphasizing the need to return to their countries to perform military service or work instead of relying on aid.
According to data from the German Employment Agency, 150,660 Ukrainian men out of 304,144 Ukrainian refugees who have entered the country since the outbreak of the war with Russia are currently receiving financial assistance from the state.
It’s estimated that the cost of social benefits for Ukrainian men in Germany could exceed 1.3 billion Euro annually, prompting some political voices to call for these funds to be redirected to Germany.
In contrast, the Ukrainian embassy in Berlin rejected these accusations, saying it’s wrong to assume that all Ukrainian men abroad are deserters or lawbreakers.
The Ukrainian embassy spokesperson emphasized that the presence of Ukrainians abroad isn’t legally prohibited, calling for not generalizing the accusations against all Ukrainian citizens residing abroad.
