The number of young Ukrainians applying for residence in Germany has increased

Since the Ukrainian government allowed men aged 18 to 22 to travel abroad in August, the number of young Ukrainians reporting to German offices their desire to register permanent residence in Germany has significantly increased, informed the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Berlin.

Before the change in Ukrainian law, about 100 Ukrainians aged 18-22 reported to offices in Germany every week, now it is about 1,000 – a spokeswoman for the German Ministry of Internal Affairs told the media.

She added that it is currently difficult to assess whether this trend will continue in the long term.

German officials attribute the observed increase to the changes introduced by the Ukrainian government on August 28. It was then decided to allow men aged 18 to 22 to travel abroad in order to stop mass emigration for fear of a possible sudden introduction of conscription from the age of 18. Currently, the lower age limit for conscription is 25 years.

Data from the government in Berlin show that in May, through a special system, consent was granted to 7,961 people from Ukraine for permanent entry to the country. This number increased to 11,277 in August and to 18,755 in September.

Unlike, for example, asylum seekers from Syria or Afghanistan, those arriving from Ukraine are granted immediate access to the labor market and social benefits after receiving a residence permit in Germany.

The German government register of foreigners contains a total of nearly 1.3 million people who went to Germany from Ukraine after February 2022, citing the ongoing war there as a reason. It is not known how many of these people have already left Germany. (PAP)

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