The German government is developing a bill that could deprive Ukrainian citizens of the right to receive social unemployment benefits (Bürgergeld), Politico reports.
The move was prompted by a mass migration of Ukrainian youth to Germany after the borders were opened to boys aged 18-22. According to the government, about 490,000 Ukrainian citizens of working age are currently receiving long-term unemployment benefits.
“We are not interested in young Ukrainians spending time in Germany instead of defending their country,” said Jürgen Hardt, a senior CDU MP on foreign policy. He stressed that Ukraine makes its own decisions, but recent changes in German legislation have led to an increasing trend of emigration, which needs to be controlled.
Chancellor Merz's coalition, which is facing budget pressure and wants to cut social spending, is actively working on the bill. At the same time, representatives of the SPD have expressed disagreement with their coalition colleagues. Other politicians suggest waiting for further developments and assessing whether the flow of arrivals will remain high before making decisions.
