More than 4.17 million Ukrainians have fled Ukraine because of the Conflict between Ukraine and Russia, according to UN refugee statistics. Of these, as of April 4, there were 306836 official Ukrainian refugees in Germany.
Changes in the number of Ukrainian refugees in Germany
However, it is worth noting that the German government has not only accepted a large number of Ukrainian refugees, but also a large number of asylum applications from refugees from other countries.
According to the Federal Agency for Migration and Refugees, in addition to being affected by the large number of Ukrainians in the "escape movement", germany is currently experiencing a sharp increase in initial asylum applications from Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi refugees. "The flood of asylum applications has added a lot of trouble to the German government."
Der Spiegel reported on April 1 that as of January to the end of February 2022, the Federal Office for Immigration and Refugees had received 29,449 asylum applications.
According to data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, Germany received a total of 17,299 asylum applications in January and February 2021, compared with a full 70% increase in the same period of the year.
The majority of applicants were from Syria (8,598 asylum applications submitted, an increase of 23.3 per cent over the same period last year), Afghanistan (5,524 asylum applications, an increase of 158.6 per cent over the same period last year) and Iraq (3,214 asylum applications submitted, an increase of 107.1 per cent over the same period last year).
"The surge in asylum applications may have been driven by the lifting of EU entry and exit restrictions." A government employee explained this.
Potsdam Mayor Mike Schubert is one of the organizers of the City Safe Haven Coalition, which is made up of cities willing to take in refugees. The SpD politician said: "We have to be aware that there are no so-called first- and second-class refugees right now. ”
In his view, based on the fundamental right of refugees to asylum, only asylum is the decisive factor in determining whether a person is eligible to apply for asylum, and the distance from the place of flight should not be used as a decisive measure.
Schubert said: "The situation that eastern European cities are experiencing now, cities like Palermo [the capital of Sicily in Italy] have been going through for many years. Today, we are experiencing a population flight movement from both directions, while bearing the consequences of wasting a lot of time on the search for how European countries will allocate refugees. ”
The German government is paying Ukrainian refugees again?!
Although, some Politicians in Germany have repeatedly stressed that there is no distinction between first- and second-class refugees. But the truth is that this does exist in Germany.
According to the Insa Institute, Ukrainian refugees are rated much more positively in Germany than immigrants who came to Germany in 2015. 54% of respondents said they prefer Ukrainian refugees.
In addition to Germany, other EU countries also discriminate against refugees, such as Poland.
German media reported that Ukrainian refugees, as whites, were warmly welcomed by the local population in Poland, but at the same time, black refugees fleeing Ukraine were ostracized. Thousands of African university students who have fled Ukraine to Poland have been placed in detention centers, and no one knows what their fate will be next.
Refugees from Africa
"We were rudely prevented from leaving Ukraine in cold weather. Border officials had little sympathy for them, but white refugees were able to cross the border. Some African refugees told reporters.
According to sources, the German government also intends to add more budget subsidies to Ukraine.
At the Federal Summit on April 7, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wanted to push for the basic welfare of Ukrainian refugees to the level of Hart-IV, the German government's level of funding for the poor.
Negotiations are currently under way with the federal government, the states and the municipalities on the equitable distribution of the burden. "We don't want refugees from Ukraine to receive worse support than those who have been granted asylum in Germany," Fisher said. ”
In doing so, the Traffic Light Coalition hopes to move forward with the repeal of the Greens-driven Asylum Seekers Welfare Act. By then, Ukrainian refugees will receive at least 119 euros more per month.
Volunteers helping Ukrainian refugees
Meanwhile, Dennis Radtke, chairman of the CDU Social Committee (CDA) in North Rhine-Westphalia, asked Prime Minister Scholz to compensate volunteers and municipalities who have been caring for refugees from Ukraine. "Poland pays helpers 10 euros per day for each refugee. Why is this not possible in Germany? Radek wants the German government to emulate Poland.