The change in course is due to the migration crisis, which has sharply deepened throughout the EU this year
Berlin, Germany24 Oct 2023, 10:31 5482 read 2 comments
“We’re bringing the language barrier down, it’s time to get to work.”
This speech by German Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil was addressed to refugees from Ukraine and more precisely to those of working age, writes DW.
What the minister said represents, in practice, a change in the previous policy of the German government. A day later, Chancellor Olaf Scholz effectively confirmed the change of course.
From the summer of 2022, refugees from Ukraine enjoy a special status in Germany – they receive larger financial benefits than other asylum seekers, and they also have better opportunities to start work. As of June 2023, about 480,000 Ukrainian citizens of working age were receiving state benefits.
The change in course is due to the migration crisis, which this year sharply deepened throughout the EU, and in Germany led to the rise of the right-wing populist party “Alternative for Germany”.
In addition, the German government must urgently solve the problem of the rapidly growing labor shortage in the German labor market, which is increasingly holding back the country’s economic development. It is also planned that the requirements for Ukrainian refugees will be increased.
While the German unemployed are required to regularly submit evidence to the Employment Agency that they are looking for work, until now there was no such requirement for Ukrainians.
Now that will change. To continue receiving state benefits, they will be required to report every six weeks on how their job search is going. Those who are unwilling to cooperate or refuse the work offered may have their payments reduced, according to Labor Minister Hubertus Heil.
At the same time, the majority (about 66%) of Ukrainian refugees accepted in Poland and the Czech Republic already have jobs, Die Welt newspaper reports. The reason is that in the two countries in question, financial aid from the state is much lower than in Germany, and moreover, it is limited in time.
(With abbreviations)
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2023-10-24 07:31:25
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