The citizen subsidy for refugees from Ukraine has been a hotly debated topic for weeks. Compared to other European countries, far fewer Ukrainian refugees work here. One of the reasons is the fact that Ukrainians here immediately receive citizenship benefits and, like refugees from other countries, do not receive funds under the Law on Asylum Seekers' Benefits. Obviously, this reduces the incentive to work.
Debate on citizens' money for Ukrainians
The newspaper “Bild” asked several Ukrainians. The tenor: Working is barely worth it compared to receiving money from citizens. FOCUS online picked up the report and the topic is causing a lot of discussion among users. There is a lot of misunderstanding of the regulations and the Ukrainians are also blamed. User Harald Seibert writes that what is being done to Ukrainians “is not nice and these people need help! However, whoever deserts and leaves his country should not be rewarded with citizens' money.”
But many, like user Rainer Fürst, believe that those responsible for this situation are mainly in Berlin. “The benefits of citizenship for Ukrainians were a big mistake,” he writes. “Anyone who receives this does not have to work because it will benefit them. “The fault lies not with the Ukrainians, but with politics.” Sebastian Selters understands that many Ukrainians decide not to work regularly. “Why should I go to work for 12 euros when I can get the money that way? “I don't think I will work for less than 20 euros again in the future.”
“There are enough Germans who don't want to work”
And FOCUS online reader Christian Mayer points out that there are “enough Germans” who don't want to work. “Only when there are no more work-shy Germans left will I get angry with the Ukrainians.” A user who goes by the name Haho Müll apparently has first-hand experience. “Ukrainian refugees apply relatively frequently to the company where I work. Almost everyone closes the application by saying: “If I don't receive a salary of more than 25 euros per hour, it's not worth it to me.” Too much for an unskilled job: here we are closer to an hourly wage of 16 euros. Of the 200 employees, we only have one Ukrainian worker. According to his own statements, he works more as a hobby. Apparently it's not worth it to them.”
FOCUS online recently reported that the state would save several hundred million euros if it gave Ukrainians the same benefits as other refugees.
It is clear that the regulation also attracts fraudsters. A few weeks ago, several media outlets reported that the Federal Ministry of the Interior was investigating several thousand suspected cases of attempted social fraud. It is said that people tried to receive money from citizens even though they actually had no right to receive it.