The results of a survey by the Institute for Public Opinion Research (INSA), commissioned by Bild, show that two-thirds of Germans (66%) do not believe that all Ukrainian refugees in Germany should receive Bürgergeld social assistance. Only 17% of respondents supported universal payments.
The survey also showed a high level of sentiment towards the return of men of military age: 62% of respondents said that such men should return to Ukraine. At the same time, 18% opposed the return, and another 8% were indifferent.
Every year, about 700,000 Ukrainians in Germany receive a total of approximately 6.3 billion euros in social assistance, and only one in three Ukrainians has a job. It is against this background that discussions are ongoing in Germany about the approach to payments to new arrivals.
Germany's draft federal budget for 2026 envisages saving around €1.5 billion, partly by changing the approach to payments for new refugees from Ukraine: instead of Bürgergeld, smaller payments are planned for asylum seekers. This move has already sparked political controversy and public debate.
The INSA survey shows that the issue of social support for refugees and demographically sensitive categories (e.g. men of military age) remains a sore point in German society. Public debates, budget decisions and the implementation of new rules will soon determine whether social practices will change and which support mechanisms will be chosen in Berlin.
