Germany to offer continued refuge for working Ukrainians, says Scholz

"Ukrainians residing in Germany with a job and a residence permit will be allowed to stay in Germany," Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Saturday in a conversation with the RND editorial team. This applies, among others, to men of conscription age, whom Ukraine is trying to recruit to fight against Russia.

Olaf Scholz, when asked by journalists whether he has a vision regarding the further integration of Ukrainians, both men and women, who want to stay in Germany after their residence permits expire in March 2025, responded affirmatively."We would like those who are here from Ukraine to continue working if they can work. We have paid for integration and language courses, so now we want to encourage many of them to work," the Chancellor said.

Scholz conveyed that many citizens of Ukraine have already found employment in Germany, "but there are still several hundred thousand people who are urgently needed in the labour market".

The Chancellor was also asked whether Ukrainian men of conscription age, who fled the war-torn country to Germany, would have to return due to a new law recently adopted by the authorities in Kyiv.

"Being employed secures residence," Scholz emphasized. The new regulations in Ukraine do not affect the right of Ukrainian citizens to reside in Germany; "The legal status in Germany is such that it does not question their stay here," he added.

In April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a new law on mobilization, introducing several changes to the army's current recruitment system and expanding the authorities' powers to issue draft notices electronically. The law explained that the authorities want to understand Ukraine's personnel resources.

Shortly thereafter, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced that he would restore "a fair approach to men of mobilization age in Ukraine and abroad" and, on the X platform, highlighted that being abroad does not exempt from duties to the state. It was reported that Ukrainian consulates had suspended services for men aged 18-60.

Currently, 1.1 million Ukrainian war refugees live in Germany. But only one in five is working. The rest receive benefits - recently reported by the German "Bild".