German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at a public discussion in his constituency in Teltow, Brandenburg, that hundreds of thousands of people from Ukraine who are under state protection should find jobs, German media reported.
Scholz said the federal government’s so-called turbo employment has increased the number of Ukrainians already employed to more than 200,000. The Chancellor indicated two measures that could be in force: Ukrainian refugees might start working in a different position from their profession, or refugees could initially work only part-time, adding that such practices are common in other countries and should also apply to Germany.
The statement followed the further intensification of the debate on civilian benefits for refugees in Germany by the Christian Social Union (CSU) a few weeks ago, demanding that war refugees should go back to Ukraine if they do not take up jobs in Germany. Alexander Dobrindt, leader of the regional group of the CSU in the Bundestag, said that refugees have two options – start working in Germany or return to safe areas in western Ukraine.
At the start of the Ukraine-Russia war in early 2022, when Germany welcomed many Ukrainian refugees, the civilian benefits scheme was intended as a quick assistance, but has long been a brake on work. Overly many people from Ukraine have stuck in the welfare system as a result.
However, Ukrainian refugees can only lose the possibility of staying in Germany once their residence permit lapses, but this first required a decision at the level of the European Union to abolish temporary protection, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The protection status of Ukrainian refugees in the EU extended a few months ago.
