In a recent interview, FDP General Secretary Sesame Djir-Sarai expressed his belief that taxpayers’ money should no longer be used to fund unemployment benefits and instead should be directed towards creating more job opportunities for people. He argued that newly arriving refugees from Ukraine should be placed under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act, just like asylum seekers from other countries. Djir-Sarai believes that the citizen’s allowance provided to refugees in Germany and Austria prevents them from actively searching for jobs, which is a significant issue being discussed at the Interior Ministers’ Conference.
The citizen’s allowance provides financial support to refugees in Germany and Austria, including access to the job market. Ukrainian refugees have their protection status in the EU until March 2026, which includes residency rights, accommodation, social benefits, medical care, and job market access. They receive around 563 euros per person for single individuals, with additional support for families. Despite these allowances, many refugees struggle to find employment due to language barriers and limited job opportunities.
In response to concerns about the exclusion of Ukrainian men of military age from the citizen’s allowance, the FDP later specified that this exclusion should only apply to those men who are able-bodied and actively seeking employment. Currently, there are around 260,000 Ukrainian refugees in Germany, with a significant number of women and children in employable age. Integration into the labor market remains a challenge due to language requirements, limited job options, and low additional income limits.
Studies show that successful integration of Ukrainian refugees into the labor market varies across Western and Eastern Europe. In Germany, language proficiency and job availability are key factors affecting refugee employment rates. Efforts to improve access to education, training
