Millions of Ukrainians have fled the war since Russia attacked. They have also found protection in Germany and experienced a lot of solidarity. Refugees from other countries, on the other hand, obviously have a much harder time in this country.
Chemnitz (dpa / sn) - After the great solidarity in the admission of Ukrainians, the migration researcher Birgit Glorius complained about prejudice and racism when looking at refugees. "It's great how much support people from Ukraine experience," said the professor of human geography at Chemnitz University of Technology to the German Press Agency. In the meantime, however, there is a clear hierarchy between refugees of different origins in Germany. People who seek protection here from other countries have it much more difficult than refugees from Ukraine. That could bring problems for the future, she warned.
The suffering of war refugees from Ukraine is obviously perceived with much more empathy than that of refugees from other countries, Glorius stated. They are often accused of having no real reason to flee. The darker the skin color of a refugee, the stronger the reservations are, she emphasized. Religion also plays a role - with negative effects, especially for people of the Muslim faith. Glorius spoke of "rehearsed racist patterns of perception" in society.
Refugees are very critical of the fact that refugees from Ukraine quickly get their own apartments, while others sometimes have to live in communal accommodation for two years, the expert explained. Ukrainians do not have to undergo an asylum procedure and, unlike other refugees, are not tied to specific places of residence assigned by the authorities. In addition, many municipalities have waived entry to museums, zoos and swimming pools for Ukrainians and they were allowed to use local transport free of charge. "We should think about whether it wouldn't be profitable to grant this to all refugees," said the expert. She heads the scientific advisory board of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
How the number of war refugees from Ukraine will develop is difficult to estimate, explained Glorius. "Right now, most of them have a strong desire to return soon." There are already numerous people who travel back to the Ukraine because their places of residence there are no longer directly contested.
Glorius pointed out that even before the war, many Ukrainians had come to Western Europe to work - for example in care and agriculture. The boundaries between flight and labor migration could become increasingly blurred in the future. Language courses and the recognition of professional qualifications are important for integration into the labor market. She sees good job prospects in the hotel and catering industry, for example, but also in education - less so in agriculture. "The classic harvest helper jobs are not interesting for people who want to build something here."
