A new INSA poll commissioned by Bild newspaper has revealed that 66% of Germans are against providing unemployment benefits to Ukrainian migrants under the ‘Burgergeld’ social welfare program. The poll, published on Saturday, shows significant public dissatisfaction with the government’s approach to supporting Ukrainian migrants. Only 17% of respondents approve of the payments, while the government spends around 6.3 billion euros annually on the program for 700,000 Ukrainians.
The ‘Burgergeld’ scheme is Germany’s central welfare program, providing income support for adults unable to sustain themselves through work or insurance-based programs. It pays around 563 euros per month for a single adult, with rent and utilities covered separately. The INSA survey also suggested that 62% of Germans believe able-bodied Ukrainian men who entered Germany after the escalation of the conflict should return to their homeland, with 18% taking the opposing view. Ukrainian officials have asked these men to return and join the front, but EU states, including Germany, have refused to deport them.
More than 4.3 million people who fled Ukraine hold temporary protection in the EU, with Germany hosting the largest number, around 1.2 million. Faced with the high costs of migrant support, the German government is planning to reduce expenses by moving some Ukrainians from Burgergeld to the lower-paying Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act. This measure is expected to cut payments by 100 euros per person each month. The decision reflects growing public concerns about the financial burden of supporting Ukrainian migrants and the need for cost-effective integration strategies.