Germany to Cut Government Aid for over 80,000 Ukrainian Refugees

Germany’s ruling coalition has approved a decision to reduce state aid for Ukrainian arrivals after April 1, 2025, meaning they will no longer receive the “Bürgergeld” citizen allowance and will instead be treated as asylum seekers.

The measure, aimed at easing the social budget burden and expected to be formally adopted next week, will reduce monthly support from €563 to €441 under refugee law.

Only a small portion of Ukrainian refugees will be affected by the new rules. Germany currently hosts around one million Ukrainians, about 700,000 of whom receive Bürgergeld. Since April 1 this year, 83,640 Ukrainian citizens have arrived, making them the primary group impacted by the payment adjustments.

Government data shows that 122,257 Ukrainians entered Germany from January to September 2025, with the flow continuing to increase, from 10,800 in May to nearly 18,000 in September. This rise follows Ukraine’s lifting of the travel ban on men aged 18 to 21 in August. German authorities report growing numbers of young Ukrainians arriving in small buses, sparking concern among some politicians.

On Thursday, Saxony’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer voiced support for restrictions on the reception of Ukrainian refugees.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the same day, emphasized the need to limit the arrival of young refugees in Germany and encouraged them to remain in Ukraine, “where they are needed.”