Europe reduces payments: in which countries have Ukrainians lost part of their aid?
25 February 13:27
Today, reducing social benefits for Ukrainians and imposing stricter conditions for receiving them is a common trend in European Union countries.
This is stated in an article by RBC-Ukraine, as reported by "Komersant Ukrainian".
In which EU countries has assistance to Ukrainians been reduced?
Daria Mikhailishina, a postdoctoral fellow at the Kyiv School of Economics, told RBC-Ukraine that Germany is probably still the most generous to Ukrainians (in terms of direct payments).
She noted that Ukrainians initially had access to Bürgergeld (so-called “citizen’s assistance”) on an equal footing with citizens, rather than to lower payments under the asylum seekers’ law.
This meant free housing, medical care, education, and financial assistance.
In addition, it provided the opportunity to receive €563 per person per month.
“But with the arrival of the Merz government in early 2025, the situation changed: for those who arrived after April 1, 2025, there was a transition to lower payments under the asylum seeker system,” the expert recalled.
In addition, “at the end of June 2025, the Bundestag voted to suspend the right to family reunification for refugees.”
At the same time, two-thirds of Germans support the abolition of Bürgergeld for Ukrainians and the return of Ukrainian men of conscription age from Germany.
Norway also stood out for its high payments to Ukrainians. But since 2025, support there has been significantly reduced.
Payments of €564 are now only made to those who live in state-owned dormitories, not in private accommodation.
The admission of refugees with pets to dormitories has also been canceled.
In addition, free dental care for young people under the age of 24 has become available only after five years of residence in the country.
Since August 2024,Ireland has finally equalized payments for all Ukrainians living in state housing.
Now, regardless of the date of arrival, the assistance is €38.80 per week (instead of the previous €220).
However, this reduction did not apply to those who rent private accommodation or live with Irish families.
In the Czech Republic , the period of free accommodation has been reduced to three months since autumn 2024. And to continue receiving protection, notarised confirmation of the lease is now required.
From 2025, payments will be €200 for adults and €143 for children.
However, if an able-bodied refugee does not find a job within 150 days, the assistance is reduced to the subsistence minimum of €129 per month.
Meanwhile, 31% of the country’s residents support the view that “Ukrainians are more of a benefit than a threat to the Czech Republic.”
“60% of respondents believe that Ukrainians receive significantly more from the budget than they pay into it. Although we know from official reports from the relevant institutions that the opposite is true,” said STEM analyst Jiří Táborský.
Poland, meanwhile, is currently pursuing a policy of strictly linking social assistance to employment.
For example, the one-time payment of PLN 300 was abolished back in the summer of 2022.
And the “800” child benefit (a monthly allowance of 800 zlotys for each child under 18) is now tied to official employment or entrepreneurial activity.
Mykhailyshyn explained that this is the result of a bill signed on September 13, 2025, after President Karol Nawrocki vetoed its previous version.
It is also worth noting that in early January 2026, Poles’ attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees deteriorated to a historic low: currently, 48% of respondents approve of their support, while 46% oppose it.
At the same time, the most skeptical are rural residents, people with low incomes, and supporters of right-wing parties.
In addition, more than half of Poland’s residents support ending the war (even at the cost of territorial concessions by Ukraine), and 63% consider such a scenario inevitable.
