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European aid ends: how support for Ukrainian refugees is changing

ANALYSIS FROM

Previously open to Ukrainians fleeing the war, the EU’s borders suddenly began to close. Some countries are not only expressing their dissatisfaction with the influx of millions of refugees from Ukraine, but have already begun to seriously filter and restrict entry. The US government has announced that it will suspend consideration of Ukrainians’ applications to enter the country under Biden’s programs. This applies to immigration applications from Ukraine and Latin America. The initiators cite fraud and security concerns. Komersant found out what challenges Ukrainians face abroad.

Germany denies entry to Ukrainians

According to Eurostat, almost 4.2 million Ukrainian citizens have been granted temporary protection in the EU. That is, Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion can receive protection and temporary residence in any EU country, and they are also allowed to travel through the Schengen area for recreation. But the reality is far from that.

Every fifth person who has been denied entry to Germany is a Ukrainian, Euractiv writes. That is, since August 2023, 19.1% of Ukrainians have been denied entry, while among Syrians, the percentage of those who were not allowed in was slightly more than 19.8, and this is out of almost 45,000 people who were not allowed to cross the border.

The reason for the large number of refusals is likely that some are trying to move from other EU countries, where they have already been provided with financial assistance, to Germany, where more than 1.14 million Ukrainians are already living as of the beginning of 2025. The reality is that Germany has some of the best conditions for refugees from Ukraine among all EU countries. This is despite the fact that starting in 2025, most EU countries will introduce new rules for Ukrainian refugees, and Germany will reduce payments to able-bodied refugees by 30% if they reject lucrative job offers.

In general, Ukrainian refugees in Germany now receive Bürgergeld social assistance: € 563 for single adults, € 471 for teenagers, € 357 for children under 12.

However, since January, those who refuse job offers and do not learn German will see their benefits reduced:

• by -10% for 1 month for the first violation;
• by -20% for 2 months for a second violation;
• by -30% for 3 months for the third violation. Those unable to work and families with children will continue to receive the usual amount of assistance. The amount of payments for them will not change.

Poland is preparing for deportation

Poland is going to introduce stricter immigration measures, and the authorities are preparing to deport foreign nationals involved in offenses. The latter is their new trump card. Throughout Poland, Ukrainians are in first place in terms of crime among foreigners, so Ukrainian citizens make up more than half of foreign prisoners in Polish prisons, RMF FM reports.

According to Gazeta Wyborcza, citing police, Ukrainians have taken control of a significant part of the drug trade, attacking currency exchange offices, engaging in extortion and “covering” businessmen. It turns out that Ukrainians are actively filling in the “gaps” left by Polish gangs, which have moved from activities focused on physical violence to fraud and financial scams. And, as the police note, criminals from Ukraine like to show off: they drive expensive cars and flaunt their money. This distinguishes them from Georgians, the second most criminal diaspora in Warsaw.

As of 2025, almost 984 thousand Ukrainians live in Poland. About 800 thousand Ukrainians are employed, and most of them work in low-paid and low-skilled positions. It should be understood that Ukrainian refugees can legally stay in Poland until September 30, 2025. However, those with Pesel UKR status will be able to obtain a CUKR residence card in 2025, which will allow them to legally reside and work in Poland for three years.

The assistance program in Poland mainly concerns families with children. For example, for parents of children under 18, if the child is enrolled in a Polish school, 800 zlotys (8276 UAH) per month per child is paid. 300 zlotys are given to prepare a child for school or university.

The Polish labor market seems less attractive, especially due to the lack of significant career opportunities for many workers, according to inpoland. And more and more refugees from Ukraine who sought asylum in Poland are now trying to move to Germany in search of a better life and professional prospects in Western Europe.

Austria checks the income of Ukrainians

Germany and Poland are not the only countries that have begun to show prejudice against Ukrainians. On the eve of the New Year, Austria began stricter checks on payments to Ukrainian refugees and even suspended payments, promising to return them after verification. The goal is to confirm that Ukrainians really need basic assistance, because there are those who have left the country and continue to receive aid. Or they live beyond their means, for example, a family has two cars, but they still receive assistance. In this case, Ukrainians are offered to keep one car, sell the other and live on these funds. For example, in Vienna, the situation will be assessed individually: only owners of expensive cars can lose the right to assistance. In Lower Austria, however, a car of any class can become an obstacle to assistance.

According to the local ORF media outlet, about 14,000 Ukrainian refugees and 8,000 minors receive assistance in Vienna alone. The monthly support is 260 euros per adult and 145 euros per child. Families renting their own housing also receive an additional subsidy of 330 euros.

Czechs plan not to accept new refugees

In the Czech Republic, Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said that they will stop accepting Ukrainian refugees on preferential terms in the event of a ceasefire. This means that no Ukrainians will receive temporary protection. Those who do arrive will have to apply for a residence permit like other foreigners.

At the same time, starting in 2025, assistance for refugees from Ukraine will be calculated based on income – people with lower salaries or those who are unable to work will receive more. In general, financial assistance from the state is calculated as the difference between the amount received and the refugees’ income. The maximum amount of assistance is 3000 CZK (5230 UAH) for an adult and 4500 CZK (7843 UAH) for children and people with disabilities. A family of 5 or more people can receive a maximum of 15 thousand CZK (26,146 UAH). At the same time, the government is introducing a new type of long-term residence permit for up to 5 years, but it will apply to working Ukrainians.

Countries screen out applicants from safe regions

Norway is changing the rules for accepting refugees from the western regions of Ukraine. This is due to the fact that these regions are considered safe and located far from the front line. Therefore, applications will be considered individually, and assistance for those living outside the reception centers will be canceled. Despite the fact that Norway has accepted 85 thousand Ukrainians since 2022.

Sweden has followed almost the same path, deciding to provide protection exclusively to those leaving the war zone or occupied territories. But this issue has not yet been resolved. Despite the fact that the country filters newcomers very strictly. Since 2022, the country has rejected almost 2,500 applications for a residence permit and canceled another 26,000. At the same time, 66 thousand Ukrainians were granted the status.

In an interview with Welt, Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov said that after a full-scale war, about 30% of refugees will return to Ukraine. The rest of the people may put forward additional conditions. For them, the end of the fighting and a stable peace will not be enough. There will be those who will not return at all. And this is the most optimistic forecast. After all, even though Ukrainians abroad are being put in a bind, they are in no hurry to return to Ukraine.

Author – Alla Dunina