Germany's new decision leaves 83,000 Ukrainians without income — and relief workers describe it as 'stupid'
Germany's decision to stop basic income for 83,000 Ukrainians has sparked a wave of criticism, as relief workers warn of burdensome bureaucracy, serious delays in healthcare, and increasing suffering among refugees. Many believe that the change harms Germany and those seeking safety.
Anna-Maria Braun from the organization Schöneberg hilft says that social welfare offices are collapsing under pressure after the job centers were removed from the process. She points out that treating Ukrainians as asylum seekers creates unnecessary obstacles and makes finding work more difficult. She describes the amendment pushed by Friedrich Merz as 'stupid and harmful.'
Access to health insurance has become a serious problem. Brown explains that it can take months to obtain insurance under the new system, leaving people without treatment. One patient had to stop their chemotherapy due to lack of insurance, and a 17-year-old pregnant girl who arrived alone from Ukraine gave birth to her child in Berlin without health coverage, forcing the hospital to pay upfront.
Critics often wonder why there are Ukrainian men in Germany instead of fighting, and why some travel to Ukraine. Braun considers these accusations unfair, emphasizing that most refugees are women, children, the injured, and those traumatized by the war. She adds that the decision to fight is a deeply personal one, and not something others have the right to impose. She also confirms that Germany benefits economically from its military industry and from working Ukrainians and taxpayers.
As for the claims that Ukrainians are receiving aid and traveling to Kyiv for tourism, Brown says they are exaggerated. Some do travel, but usually to visit sick or dying relatives in western Ukraine—not for vacations. Even those areas are not safe, as school lessons are held in basements for fear of attacks, electricity is frequently cut off, and the weather is extremely cold.
Brown believes that Germany's new policy will increase problems instead of solving them, as it weakens refugees and burdens local authorities. She warns that abolishing the basic income will not accelerate integration, but will deepen the suffering of people who have already fled the horrors of war.