German government drafts bill to reduce payments to Ukrainian refugees

The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Germany has drafted and submitted for approval a bill on changes in benefits for Ukrainian refugees, reports Handelsblatt .

The draft law stipulates that Ukrainians who came to Germany from April of this year or later will not receive civilian assistance (Bürgergeld), but lower payments for asylum seekers (Asylbewerberleistungen).

If the standard Bürgergeld rate for one person reaches 563 euros, the payment for asylum seekers is 441 euros, or about 20% less.

The reason for these changes is the steady increase in the cost of basic support for job seekers, which includes Bürgergeld. Last year, total costs amounted to about 47 billion euros, of which 6.6 billion euros were paid to Ukrainians.

At the same time, the share of Ukrainian refugees working in Germany is lower than in other countries.

For Ukrainian refugees who arrived after April 1, but before the new law came into force, the already assigned Bürgergeld payments will continue, but no longer than until the end of May 2026.

The amendments do not apply to Ukrainian refugees who arrived before April 1, 2025, as well as those who came under migration programs for skilled workers or for study.

These changes are expected to save the German government about €1.2 billion in 2026 and €350 million in 2027.

• German party CSU initiated a discussion on whether all Ukrainian refugees, regardless of their date of arrival, should be granted asylum seekers' benefits only.
• Labor Minister Berbel Bas of the Social Democratic Party rejected these demands, emphasizing the need to focus on the coalition agreement to avoid further problems in the coalition.