Ukrainians increasingly relocate to Germany from other EU countries – Sukennyk

According to Rostyslav Sukennyk, Head of the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Germany, the latest Eurostat data indicates a growing trend of Ukrainian refugees moving to Germany from other European countries.

“These are people who have left Poland, France, and other countries. Specifically, we are talking about Ukrainian refugees who receive assistance and are in the social support system. Such ‘flows’ of people are observed. At the same time, the number of those currently arriving in Germany from Ukraine is insignificant,” Sukennyk explains.

Data from the European Union reveals that Germany is at the forefront in offering refuge to displaced Ukrainian refugees.”The main EU countries hosting beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine were Germany (1 270 150 people; 29.5% of total EU), Poland (951 560; 22.1%) and Czechia (381 190; 8.9%). Compared with the end of December 2023, the largest absolute increases in the number of beneficiaries were observed in Germany (+18 905; +1.5%), Czechia (+8 155; +2.2%), and Spain (+2 830; +1.5%),” the text states.

Sukennyk notes that a diverse Ukrainian presence can be seen in Germany.”There are, for example, those who have already been here and returned to Ukraine, and now have returned to Germany again. Germans call this seasonal, for hibernation. That is when the situation deteriorates in Ukraine, there are people who come for the winter-spring period to endure difficulties abroad, which is also a completely normal phenomenon,” said the Head of the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Germany.

Ukrainians choose Germany because of its quality social protection system, Sukennyk assumes. “Some of the forced refugees arrived in Germany with stable perceptions of how everything works in Ukraine. Not always does this perception correspond to the reality of processes abroad. It would be much more beneficial if this perception of ‘how it was for us’ remained in Ukraine, and people instead observed and watched how processes unfold here. After all, we will also be able to build Ukraine if we adhere to the rules,” Sukennyk says.

Nonetheless, the majority of the Ukrainian community members actively participate in numerous activities, including volunteering, full-time employment in Germany, academic pursuits, aiding others, and more, as pointed out by the leader of the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Germany.