The end of the 'Citizen Allowance': What awaits Ukrainian refugees?
Germany's decision to abolish the citizen allowance (Bürgergeld) will deeply affect hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees residing in the country. More than half of the 1.3 million Ukrainians who fled to Germany rely on this financial support — which will soon be replaced by a lower-value asylum seeker allowance.
The German government has recently approved a new basic income reform that changes the way refugees are supported. Starting from April 2025, Ukrainians arriving in Germany will no longer receive citizen benefits, but will instead receive asylum seeker benefits (Asylbewerberleistungen), which are about 110 euros less per month for single adults. However, they will be allowed to work upon arrival — a right not enjoyed by all other asylum seekers.
This change comes amid increasing criticism that Germany provides more generous assistance to Ukrainian refugees compared to most other European countries. In Poland, about 65% of Ukrainian refugees are employed, and in the Czech Republic, the figure is 70% — both of which provide much less social assistance than Germany. Politicians from the CDU/CSU parties have called on the government to "create more incentives for Ukrainians to engage in the labor market."
At the same time, the 'Jobturbo' program, launched to help refugees find jobs quickly, is set to be terminated. The program has helped increase communication between Ukrainians and job centers, enabling many of them to secure employment. Between October 2023 and August 2025, the number of working Ukrainians rose by 113%. However, under the new system, refugees will not receive direct support from job centers, making integration into the labor market more difficult.
Critics also doubt that this reform will actually save money. According to a draft report from the Ministry of Social Affairs, the federal government and local authorities are expected to save about 1.32 billion euros, but additional costs resulting from the asylum seeker allowance system will reach 1.375 billion euros, meaning that the actual savings will be almost nonexistent. The change will also require significant bureaucratic effort from local authorities.
So far, no official timeline or final draft of the new law has been published. The government has not yet clarified when the details of the transition will be revealed. Until then, about 700,000 Ukrainians remain in a state of waiting and anxiety — anticipating how their future in Germany will change in the coming months.