On November 26, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made frank comments about the employment situation of the Ukrainian refugee community living in Europe's largest economy.
In an official speech released by the German government, Chancellor Merz expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that the majority of refugees are still living on social allowances instead of actively participating in the labor market.
Mr. Merz pointed out an alarming difference when comparing Germany's data with neighboring countries in the region. He stressed that in Germany, the employment rate among Ukrainian refugees is currently among the lowest in the entire European Union (EU).
Citing specific figures to highlight the problem, the German Chancellor said that while this rate reached impressive 70-80% in some partner countries, in Germany, this figure remained below 30%. He called it an "un acceptable" situation.
Currently, Germany is the country with the largest number of refugees with about 1.1 million Ukrainians.
To clarify the contrast, statistics show that the rate of Ukrainian refugees having jobs in neighboring Poland is up to 70%, and in the Czech Republic is about 60%. This raises a big question about the effectiveness of integration policies in Germany.
Affirming the government's new stance, Mr. Merz emphasized the view that although Germany wants to help, refugees must be responsible.
This big difference in employment rate is often explained by observers and economists as the generous social welfare system of Germany compared to Eastern European countries. Subsidy levels in Germany sometimes unintentionally create a mentality of relying on or reducing the motivation for job seeking of refugees, especially for unskilled work.
Merz's latest statements are seen as a signal that Berlin could soon tighten regulations. The German government is expected to increase pressure to prompt refugees to integrate into the workforce, a step to both address the shortage of human resources and reduce the growing burden on the national budget.
