Germany calls on EU to restrict entry of young Ukrainian men
24 October 10:19
Bavarian Prime Minister and leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), a member of Germany’s ruling coalition, Markus Söder, has called for restrictions on the entry of young Ukrainian men into Germany.
“It will not help anyone if even more young men from Ukraine come to Germany instead of defending their homeland,” the conservative politician said in an interview with Bild newspaper, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Germany provides Ukraine with full support with weapons, money and humanitarian aid, Söder emphasized.
“However, we still need Ukrainian soldiers to defend their country,” he continued. – “Our solidarity remains, but it requires clear rules and responsibility on both sides. If this cannot be done voluntarily (by Ukraine – Ed.), then the Mass Inflow Directive (also called the Temporary Protection Directive) should be limited at the EU level.”
on October 20, after the CSU board meeting in Munich, Söder already spoke in favor of restricting entry for Ukrainians.
“As for Ukraine, we need reasonable and clear rules. This means closing the topic of Bürgergeld (social benefits – Ed.). But it also means restricting access and the inflow (of Ukrainian migrants to Germany – Ed.) of young Ukrainians who would be better off staying in their homeland,” Söder said.
Young Ukrainian men allowed to travel abroad
On August 28, Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 22 were allowed to leave the country freely. Until that date, martial law, which has been in place in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, had, with few 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,” Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram.
More young Ukrainians are entering Germany
After Kyiv lifted the travel ban on Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 in August, the number of applications for temporary protection in Germany from this group increased from about 100 to 1,000 per week, the German Interior Ministry reported on October 15.
The total number of Ukrainian citizens seeking protection in Germany has also increased. According to the Interior Ministry, in May 2025, 7,961 people from Ukraine were distributed through the registration system, 11,277 in August, and 18,755 in September. Ukrainians receive a residence permit in accordance with §24 of the Residence Act, which entitles them to immediate access to the labor market and social security.
Söder: Ukrainians in Germany should work more
on August 24, in an interview with the ARD TV channel, the Bavarian Prime Minister called for increasing “incentives to work” in Germany, in particular for Ukrainian refugees.
“The current system leads to the fact that in Germany, compared to other countries, there are far fewer Ukrainians working, even though they are well educated. This is their big difference from people from other parts of the world. What we do in Germany is truly absurd. We have well-educated people, but we create incentives for them not to work.”
He later clarified that many Ukrainians are already working in Germany. “But there could be many more,” the Bavarian prime minister added.
on August 3, Zeder said that social assistance for all Ukrainians in Germany should be canceled.
“We must finally make sure that anyone who can work goes to work. For example, in the case of Ukrainians, we need to make sure that Ukrainians no longer have Bürgergeld. And it’s best not only for those who will come in the future, but for everyone,” Zeder said.
As a reminder, half of Ukrainian IT workers want to emigrate, and this is due to mobilization.
