Almost 20,000 Ukrainians of military age have entered Germany since August. These are men aged 18 to 22, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) said in response to a BILD request.
According to the agency, 19,484 Ukrainian men in this age group have crossed the German border since August. The increase in entries is attributed to a decision by the Ukrainian authorities in August. At the time, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko said that young men could “cross the border without hindrance during martial law.”
After that, the number of applications for protection from this group in Germany increased sharply. The German Interior Ministry reported in October that the number of such applications had risen from about 100 per week before the decision to about 1,000 per week.
The BAMF clarified that the peak level of entries was recorded in early October. At the same time, since November, according to a ministry representative, “the number of recorded entries has become significantly lower than in the previous two months.” It now amounts to less than 1,000 people per week.
The ministry representative also emphasized that “primary entries are only an indicator of migration processes and do not mean an automatic application for protection or a long-term stay in Germany.” According to him, these processes are taking place in parallel with “more intensive Russian attacks, which are also significantly affecting the heating and energy supply system” in Ukraine.
Whether these young men will stay in Germany for a long time and whether they will apply for social assistance is currently unknown. At the same time, cities and communities are already facing the financial burden of accommodating refugees.
