The number of applications for protection from young Ukrainians in Germany has increased dramatically
15 October 16:07
After Kyiv lifted the travel ban on Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 in late August, the number of applications for temporary protection in Germany by members of this age group increased from about 100 to 1,000 per week. This was reported on Wednesday, October 15, by a representative of the German Ministry of the Interior to the media group Funke Mediengruppe, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The extent to which this is a “temporary phenomenon” is “currently impossible to assess,” she said.
The total number of Ukrainian citizens seeking protection in Germany has also increased. According to the German Ministry of the Interior, in May 2025, 7,961 people from Ukraine were distributed through the Free registration system, 11,277 in August, and 18,755 in September. Ukrainians are granted residence permits in accordance with §24 of the Residence Act, which entitles them to immediate access to the market.
According to the Funke Mediengruppe, as of October 4, 2025, a total of 1,293,672 people who have fled to Germany since February 2022 due to the war in Ukraine were registered in the Central Register of Foreigners. However, the representative of the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs could not say for sure how many of them have already left Germany. She added that as of the end of September, about 450,000 migrants from Ukraine were registered as “not having the right to stay” in Germany.
Young men under the age of 22 are allowed to leave Ukraine
Since the end of August 2025, Ukraine has introduced new rules for crossing the state border for men of military age.
“Men between the ages of 18 and 22 will be able to cross the border freely, despite the martial law in the country. We are talking about all citizens of the corresponding age. This decision also applies to citizens who find themselves abroad for various reasons,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on August 26.
Until that date, martial law, which has been in effect in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war with Russia, with rare exceptions, prohibited adult men under the age of 60 from leaving the country.
“The purpose of this step is primarily to provide young Ukrainians with wider opportunities for study, internships, and legal employment abroad, so that they can later use the experience gained for the development of Ukraine,” explained the reasons for relaxing the border crossing rules, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko.
In addition to a passport, Ukrainians aged 18 to 22 must provide a document of military registration to cross the border, the Interior Ministry explained earlier.
