Olaf Scholz’s remark comes amid public debate over providing refugees with government handouts
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has encouraged Ukrainian refugees in Germany to actively seek employment. He also called on officials to simplify the process and on employers to hire more Ukrainian nationals.
The Berlin government has faced criticism for its special treatment of Ukrainian refugees, allowing them – unlike asylum seekers from other countries – to receive Burgergeld, or the citizen’s allowance. This social benefit is typically available to low-income Germans or EU nationals residing in the country.
The conservative CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), have argued that the generous handouts discourage Ukrainians from seeking work.
As of July 2024, an estimated over a million Ukrainian refugees were living in Germany.
Speaking at a Social Democratic Party (SPD) event in his constituency in Teltow on Saturday, Scholz stated that despite a government program that has led to 200,000 employed Ukrainians, “there are another couple of hundred thousand” who remain unemployed.
“So, it is my wish that [Ukrainians] work,” the chancellor said.
The German leader acknowledged that many Ukrainian refugees may not immediately find jobs aligned with their qualifications or may have to start with part-time employment, but emphasized that these factors should not deter them from seeking jobs.
He also expressed surprise that out of 2,000 Ukrainian doctors who have tried to find positions in the German healthcare system, only 120 have managed to secure work permits.
The chancellor urged employers to “take a look at the people,” adding that necessary certificates can be obtained later.
Additionally, Scholz called on regional authorities to streamline the process for assessing foreigners’ professional qualifications by reducing the number of offices with overlapping functions.
In July, CSU leader Markus Soder, who also heads the state of Bavaria, informed the media that a conservative federal government would cease paying the citizen’s allowance to Ukrainian refugees.
A month earlier, Alexander Dobrindt, chairman of the CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, told Bild that “more than two years after the start of the war, the principle must now apply: take up work in Germany or return to safe areas of western Ukraine.”
Bild reported earlier this year that the employment rate among Ukrainian refugees in Germany stood at only 25%, the lowest figure among host nations.