The majority of refugees from Ukraine feel welcome in Germany, and half attend a language course. 37 percent want to stay in Germany.
More than every third war refugee from the Ukraine would like to stay in Germany either forever or at least for several years. This is shown by the results of a representative survey in which, among others, the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB) of the Federal Employment Agency was involved.
Of the more than 11,000 Ukrainians who took part in the survey, 26 percent said they wanted to live in Germany forever. 11 percent want to stay for several years. 34 percent want to leave Germany after the end of the war. 27 percent of respondents were undecided. Only 2 percent of Ukraine refugees plan to leave the country again within a year.
The clear majority of Ukrainian refugees stated that they felt welcome when they arrived in Germany. According to the study, this was entirely the case for about a third of the refugees. 43 percent of those surveyed stated that they felt mostly welcome at the beginning. Only a minority of 7 percent does not feel welcome at all or hardly at all. "Many in our society and at all levels of government have grown out of themselves to help refugees," said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser from the SPD. She promised: "We will continue to help the refugees with all our might."
At the time of the survey, between August and October, 17 percent of the refugees of working age had a job. According to the study, most of them - 71 percent - pursued a job that required a university or professional qualification. "We rate this proportion as relatively high," also in comparison to previous experiences with other refugee groups, said Herbert Brücker from the IAB. According to the researchers, employment rates increase when refugees are free to choose their place of residence.
As of November 21, the Central Register of Foreigners recorded 1,026,599 people who had entered Germany since February 24 in connection with the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian refugees can enter Germany without a visa and receive temporary protection without having to apply for asylum. You can receive Hartz IV benefits, or soon citizen income.
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil said it was right to give the Ukraine refugees a perspective on the German job market. This also means that language offers or job placement offers are widely used. According to the SPD politician, this was made possible by access to basic security and support from the job center.
With increasing language skills, the proportion of people in employment will probably increase significantly, Brucker predicts - especially since the vast majority, according to their own statements, are aiming for a professional activity. Only 5 percent of the refugees from Ukraine stated in the survey that they had a good knowledge of German. However, 51 percent of Ukrainians were already attending a German course at the time of the survey.
Of the adult refugees, 80 percent are women. 48 percent of them came to Germany with underage children. Due to the general mobilization, men of military age are only allowed to leave the country in very limited exceptional cases.
Two thirds of those who have fled to Germany come from regions in Ukraine that have been particularly hard hit by the war. 60 percent of the refugees name family members, friends and acquaintances who already live here as the most important reason for choosing Germany as the destination country. Other frequently mentioned motives are respect for human rights, the welfare system, the education system, the welcoming culture and the economic situation in Germany. 18 percent of the refugees stated that chance had brought them to Germany.
In addition to the IAB, the research center of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf), the German Institute for Economic Research and the Federal Institute for Population Research were involved in the study. A second survey is planned for early 2023.
