Employment of Ukrainians in Germany failed. German officials think so because only a quarter of refugees work. Focus investigated why this happens and how our citizens survive in one of the most developed countries in the European Union.
Bild writes that the employment of Ukrainian refugees in Germany has failed. According to Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Hubertus Heil, quoted by the publication, only a quarter of refugees from Ukraine work in Germany, while in other European countries the figures are two to three times higher. For comparison: 78% of Ukrainian refugees found work in Denmark, 66% in the Czech Republic, 65% in Poland, 56% in Sweden and the United Kingdom, and 50% in the Netherlands it works.
German experts believe that one of the main reasons for this situation is the significant financial support from the state. In Germany, adult Ukrainians receive the normal social assistance rate of 563 euros, while children receive 357-471 euros, depending on age. Housing and additional expenses are also covered. At the same time, in many European countries, aid is much less and varies between 66-200 euros.
Plans changed: Can’t imagine working 8 hours a day
Maria, who turned 50 last year, currently lives in Hamburg. She worked as an accountant in Ukraine. To find a similar job in Germany, she needs a minimum level of B2 in German, but in two years the woman only progressed to level A2. He says he had big plans when he first arrived in Hamburg in March 2022: to learn the language, work at least part-time at the same time, and return home immediately after the end of the war. But after two years in Germany, the mood changed dramatically.
Important
“The Germans are very loyal to us, despite all the statements of the authorities that the refugees will be almost forced to work,” says Maria. “And this, unfortunately, did not benefit me personally. If I had not dreamed of this two years ago, I have a jobless life, now eight hours a day I can’t imagine how I’ll be studying Formally I’m studying German, I berate myself almost every day for being able to speak it fluently so far but I’m not ready I don’t have any plans to change anything “I do – I’m just going with the flow.” As long as there are payments, I will take them. If they are cancelled, I will decide what to do next. “
In Germany, only a quarter of refugees from Ukraine work, in other European countries these figures are two to three times higher
30-year-old Svetlana has been living in Germany for a little over a year. She says she did not plan to leave Ukraine after the start of a full-scale war, but was expelled in January 2023. And if he somehow got used to the bombardment and air strikes, it would become very difficult to remain unemployed. Finally, she accepted her relative’s invitation and went to a small town near Bremen.
“My aunt has lived here for over 25 years,” says Svetlana. “She assured me that this is a wonderful resort town close to the sea, but I must say that we have a different understanding of the word “resort”. All year round.” “grey, it rains for 10 months every year, on weekends the city is completely destroyed, there is no one on the streets, only seagulls “quack”. For tourists everything is cool and beautiful here, but in reality it all looks very depressing. Although, as I understand it, the Germans like it” .
According to the speaker FocusWhen he went to Germany a year ago, he was determined to learn German. Svetlana rightly thought that the language would not hinder her in any case, regardless of whether she decided to stay in Germany or return to Ukraine. However, even though he did not work anywhere for a long time and learning languages was his only profession, he could not go above the A2 level.
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“Firstly, it turned out that I have no talents for languages,” says the girl. “Secondly, I have no desires – I constantly think that I want to return home, and in Ukraine I will somehow get by without German. I often travel to the Dnieper return, it can be said that I live from trip to trip. Thirdly, it is actually more financially profitable for me to be an “eternal student”. After all, this is how I sit on payments (state rent, fuel consumption, language courses, health insurance and pay monthly payments of 560 euros), looking for a job “And at the same time, I have the opportunity to travel to Ukraine every month or two.”
According to Svetlana, it is very difficult for her to assess the level of satisfaction with her own life. On the one hand, he is grateful to Germany for housing, attitude and payments. On the other hand, She says that she cannot live the life she dreams of, and that it is in vain that Europe continues to distribute money and free courses to refugees.
Some interlocutors of Focus noted: It is more profitable to live in Germany without a job – the state pays for everything
“We are spoiled here, many people have forgotten what it means to work,” says Svetlana. “I can’t speak for the whole of Germany, but there are not many jobs in our region, so no one forces us to work. Find a job. You can be a cleaner or work in production, but Why? “To get paid, all you have to do is take a German course and you don’t have to show the results. “If you cannot pass the level, when you take the exam, you will still attend the same courses for free and you will continue to receive payment.”
Refugee dilemma: work or care for children
As can be seen, the opinions of the interlocutors Focus It completely coincides with the data published by Bild: Large payments did not benefit everyone. As the publication notes, another reason for the low level of employment in Germany is that about 72% of Ukrainian refugees in Germany have higher education. They are considered overqualified, but before they can work in their field of expertise in Germany they must go a long way towards having their degrees recognized, which can take years. Knowledge of the language may be useful here, but free language courses do not yet solve the problem very well.
Moreover, experts are not sure that Ukrainians receiving social benefits will go to work en masse, even if Germany tightens the rules, for example, reduces payments and insists on universal employment of immigrants. But this is not just a matter of unwillingness to work.
“Some Ukrainians may return home to Ukraine – we know this from our communications with Ukrainians in Germany,” he commented. Focus Margarita Nesterenko is head of international recruitment for the EWL Transition Platform. — First of all, we are talking about women with children, especially women of young age. 65 percent of Ukrainian war refugees are women. Many came with their children or elderly relatives in need of care“.
Experts are not sure that Ukrainians receiving benefits will go to work en masse, even if Germany tightens the rules, for example reducing payments and insisting on universal employment of immigrants
According to the expert, it is difficult for such women to find a job and take care of their children at the same time because they are often offered part-time and so-called part-time jobs. If social aid does not cover a significant part of the expenses, this income may not be enough to live on.
“And now many Ukrainians who are ready and want to go to work do not have this opportunity because there is no one to leave their children with, and the German system is designed in such a way that children cannot be left unattended.” Margarita Nesterenko.
In the opposite direction: They will return to Poland if aid decreases
Some Ukrainians with or without adult children will probably go to work and stay in Germany. Especially considering that Germany will provide the most hard-working immigrants with simplified conditions for obtaining citizenship. This can be a strong argument for those who dream of staying in the country forever.
“But now we see that Ukrainians who hold managerial positions in their home country and have qualifications in Germany are having difficulty finding jobs in their field of expertise. The main requirement for this type of work is knowledge of German or at least English. If there is no such information, the option is limited: either physically go to work or return to Ukraine, or stay in Germany and support yourself independently if such financial possibilities are available.“, says the EWL expert.
In addition, according to the expert, after the cut in payments, some Ukrainians may return to Poland. “Many Ukrainians moved from Poland to Germany in 2022, but they may return if financial aid is reduced. 27% of respondents in our survey stated that they may return to Poland from Germany if they cannot find a satisfactory job in Germany,” says Nesterenko.
Important
But this is unlikely to help because the problem will persist. Women will still have difficulty working and caring for children at the same time, regardless of the country they live in. In Poland they can also rely primarily on physical work in manufacturing or employment in the service sector.
Source: Focus
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