Germany’s coalition government has agreed on a politically sensitive overhaul of the support package offered to Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s war. According to an announcement carried by Kyiv-based outlet Kyiv24 on 16 November, refugees who arrive in Germany on or after 1 April 2025 will no longer be entitled to the standard unemployment benefit (Bürgergeld) that most newcomers have received since June 2022. Instead, they will fall under the stricter Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act, reducing the monthly cash allowance for a single adult from €563 to €441. Housing and heating costs will continue to be covered separately by local authorities.
The Interior and Labour Ministries pushed the change through after months of coalition wrangling over low labour-market participation among the 1.1 million Ukrainians currently in Germany. Government data show that fewer than 25 percent of working-age Ukrainians are in regular employment, a figure far below the target set when temporary-protection status was granted. Ministers argue that lowering benefits will create a stronger incentive to seek work and speed up integration, while critics say the move risks pushing vulnerable families into poverty and overstretching municipal job centres.
![Germany scales back welfare payments for new Ukrainian refugees from April 2025]()
Employment lawyers note that the measures do not affect Ukrainians who have already registered in Germany; they will continue to receive Bürgergeld provided they meet existing job-search requirements. However, companies planning to bring displaced Ukrainian specialists to German sites after 1 April will need to review salary top-ups and relocation allowances to ensure a sustainable net income for assignees.
For global mobility managers, the policy pivot underscores two broader trends. First, Germany’s post-pandemic labour market is tight enough for the federal government to demand faster self-sufficiency from humanitarian migrants. Second, social-security costs are becoming a contentious budget item ahead of the 2026 federal budget, increasing the likelihood of further benefit reforms that could indirectly affect corporate immigration programmes. Employers should brief affected staff on the new rules, update cost-projections for future transfers, and monitor local authority guidance as the implementation date approaches.
The Bundestag is expected to receive enabling legislation in December, with most opposition parties signalling support for measures that ‘reduce pull factors’. Lobby groups for Ukrainian diaspora organisations have promised legal challenges, claiming the change infringes EU Temporary Protection Directive standards, but lawyers say Berlin has leeway to differentiate support levels provided basic needs are met.
The Interior and Labour Ministries pushed the change through after months of coalition wrangling over low labour-market participation among the 1.1 million Ukrainians currently in Germany. Government data show that fewer than 25 percent of working-age Ukrainians are in regular employment, a figure far below the target set when temporary-protection status was granted. Ministers argue that lowering benefits will create a stronger incentive to seek work and speed up integration, while critics say the move risks pushing vulnerable families into poverty and overstretching municipal job centres.
Employment lawyers note that the measures do not affect Ukrainians who have already registered in Germany; they will continue to receive Bürgergeld provided they meet existing job-search requirements. However, companies planning to bring displaced Ukrainian specialists to German sites after 1 April will need to review salary top-ups and relocation allowances to ensure a sustainable net income for assignees.
For global mobility managers, the policy pivot underscores two broader trends. First, Germany’s post-pandemic labour market is tight enough for the federal government to demand faster self-sufficiency from humanitarian migrants. Second, social-security costs are becoming a contentious budget item ahead of the 2026 federal budget, increasing the likelihood of further benefit reforms that could indirectly affect corporate immigration programmes. Employers should brief affected staff on the new rules, update cost-projections for future transfers, and monitor local authority guidance as the implementation date approaches.
The Bundestag is expected to receive enabling legislation in December, with most opposition parties signalling support for measures that ‘reduce pull factors’. Lobby groups for Ukrainian diaspora organisations have promised legal challenges, claiming the change infringes EU Temporary Protection Directive standards, but lawyers say Berlin has leeway to differentiate support levels provided basic needs are met.
