The German government is preparing legislative changes that foresee a reduction in social benefits for Ukrainian refugees arriving after April 1, 2025. This was reported by Reuters, citing a draft document.
Source: PRYAMYI
Specifically, payments may be reduced by about 100 euros per month for each new refugee. This will mean a return to the standard assistance provided to asylum seekers under German law, rather than the full social package according to the EU Temporary Protection Directive currently in effect.
If the bill is adopted, Ukrainians arriving after April 2025 will receive assistance at the same level as other refugee categories, rather than the broader payments they previously received.
According to official data, there are currently about 1.25 million Ukrainian refugees in Germany, of whom more than 21,000 arrived between April and June 2025.
The law still needs approval by the government and the Bundesrat, likely by the end of 2025.
The document emphasizes that the goal of the changes is to reduce the burden on the country’s social system, where discussions about the level of support for Ukrainian refugees have been ongoing for a long time.
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder called not only for cutting aid to new arrivals but also for reducing social benefits for all Ukrainian refugees, stressing:
“We need a clear signal. Payments must be equal for all refugees.”
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