BERLIN ― Ukraine is pushing to get those of its citizens who have sought refuge in Germany to return home as Kyiv’s war with Russia nears its third anniversary.
With more than a million Ukrainians having fled to Germany since Vladimir Putin’s invasion began, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov has announced plans to set up processing centers, initially in Berlin but later expanding to other locations, to help refugees find job placements, housing and educational opportunities — including back in their home country.
“A significant number of Ukrainians are seriously considering returning home,” Chernyshov told German press agency dpa following discussions with German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.
Faeser said the centers, which will be known as “unity hubs,” would help refugees wanting to return home, while also enabling those staying in Germany to integrate more effectively.
Germany’s generous refugee policies — which have provided a safe haven for 1.2 million Ukrainians — have drawn mixed reviews domestically.
Opposition leader Friedrich Merz, head of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the favorite to become chancellor after next month’s general election, previously sparked controversy by accusing Ukrainian refugees of “welfare tourism.” His comments, which implied that the refugees were exploiting Germany’s social safety net while traveling back and forth to Ukraine, provoked sharp criticism. Merz later apologized.
By late 2024 approximately 240,000 Ukrainian refugees held socially insured jobs in their adopted country, up significantly from the year before, according to data from Germany’s Federal Employment Agency. However, over 60 percent of adult refugees from Ukraine are women, many of whom face challenges balancing childcare and employment.
Chernyshov said the unity hubs would also support refugees who decided to remain in Germany by helping them with job searches and professional qualifications. “They should not be a burden on the [German] government,” he said.
While Chernyshov has applauded German efforts to welcome refugees, he actually has a strong reason to propose repatriation: Ukraine’s population decline, exacerbated by decades of emigration and now the war, is unsustainable. Kyiv estimates that 20 million to 25 million Ukrainians live abroad, compared to 32 million within the country’s borders — a sharp drop from the 52 million recorded domestically in 1991.
“Germany is a reliable partner,” Chernyshov said, praising Berlin’s role in security and humanitarian assistance. But he also stressed the importance of rebuilding Ukraine’s workforce: “Returnees will be vital to our recovery,” he said.
The unity hubs may prove to be a delicate balancing act — providing support to those who stay while encouraging voluntary repatriation. Chernyshov emphasized Ukraine’s desperate need for workers in reconstruction, energy and defense.
In potentially a key move to tip the scales homeward, refugees who work in sectors deemed critical to Ukraine’s recovery will be shielded from the military obligations that many, particularly younger males, would face upon return. “If you work in a power plant, you will not be drafted,” Chernyshov said. “You have a guarantee.”
The German interior ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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