Study examines integration of Ukraine refugees and comes to an "encouraging" conclusion

Created: 12/16/2022 9:36 am

By: Christian Deutschländer

Many Ukrainian refugees have found refuge in Germany, but what will become of them now?

A study examines opportunities, plans and deficits.

And refutes prejudices.

Munich/Berlin – It is this one topic that Friedrich Merz burned his fingers on a quarter of a year ago.

The CDU leader spoke of "social tourism" by the Ukraine refugees, a "larger number" make use of the German social system and happily travel back and forth between the countries.

The result was a public outcry, with authorities, politicians and even bus operators emphasizing that they had no signs of abuse.

Merz publicly rowed back and asked "in all formal terms for an apology".

He hasn't touched on the subject since then.

But many in politics and society have a sinking feeling: that it would be good to have more precise data on the more than one million people who came to us from the attacked Ukraine.

Because there was an enormous wave of aid for these refugees in Germany, hundreds of thousands opened their guest rooms - but because envy debates or accusations are often mixed up in the discussion and good as well as bad experiences make the rounds.

The first scientifically based, representative study on the refugees is now available.

Study on Ukrainian refugees in Germany comes to “encouraging” conclusions

The Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) interviewed 11,200 Ukrainian refugees in cooperation with several offices, authorities and the German Institute for Economic Research.

The result is "encouraging" according to BiB director Katharina Spieß.

This is true for some figures, for others it is a matter of interpretation.

Example language: Eight out of ten refugees still have (almost) no knowledge of German.

But half of adult Ukrainians take language courses.

Refugees from Ukraine stand with their luggage in front of the buildings of a refugee home in Cologne.

© Henning Kaiser/dpa

The level of education is very high: 72 percent have a university degree.

However, the job market is still lacking.

Only 17 percent of refugees of working age have a job.

Three quarters of them are in jobs that require a professional or university degree.

As many Ukrainians as possible should be integrated into working life

This is central to the political debate – to integrate as many Ukrainians as possible into working life.

Desired side effect: reduce social spending, alleviate the shortage of skilled workers.

The war refugees are privileged compared to others: They are allowed to work immediately, but also receive Hartz IV instead of (lower) benefits from the Asylum Seekers Act, plus child benefit, parental benefit, student loans.

Is there enough incentive to take up work?

According to the study, at least 78 percent want to work.

Three quarters of the unemployed refugees are registered as unemployed and are therefore in the placement system of the job center.

Problem in many cases: Mothers who fled with their children often stay at home.

80 percent of adult refugees are women;

half of them live with underage children in one household.

"They now want to give priority to taking care of their children in this foreign country," says Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU).

Overall, it is still quite early to assess the employment rate.

Unfortunately, there is still a great deal of uncertainty as to how the war will continue.

"In any case, I expect the employable Ukrainians who want to stay with us in the long term to make their own living here." to give up a job.

Bavaria's Interior Minister is hoping for increasing language skills

His hope, shared by the authors of the study, is that language skills will increase the employment rate.

Refugees from Ukraine tend to be young (28 years on average) and healthy (only 10 percent rate their condition as poor).

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Fancy a voyage of discovery?

My space

A key question for this is: Where do you see your future?

The study finds that 34 percent want to stay here until the end of the war;

26 percent forever, 11 percent maximum for a few years;

a good quarter is undecided.

The vast majority - 76 percent - felt welcome upon arrival.