A scandal broke out in Germany over the granting of asylum to Ukrainians, their number decreased by almost 200,000
A scandal erupted in Germany over the failure of a summit on refugee issues, which took place between the ruling coalition and the opposition CDU/CSU bloc. Since the participants could not reach an agreement, the matter was referred directly to the Bundestag. This situation also affected Ukrainians who receive temporary protection in Germany, because the discussion also concerns the conditions for granting them asylum.
According to the German publication BILD, the summit began with a speech by the leader of the CSU Alexander Dobrindt. Chancellor Olaf Scholz took the floor after him, who noted the contribution of migrants to the development of Germany, saying that they “helped build the country and make it successful.” However, the main emphasis in his speech was on criticizing the CDU/CSU bloc for inactivity in migration policy in the past. Scholz accused the opposition of populism on migration issues, which caused tension in the hall. His emotional speech surprised many, because he repeatedly deviated from pre-prepared notes and reacted spontaneously. CDU leader Friedrich Merz only laughed and made comments in response, which only added fuel to the fire.
Despite the failure of the summit, Scholz tried to preserve the possibility of further cooperation, saying that “the door is not yet closed” for dialogue with the opposition. However, the discussion continued with new accusations. Alternative for Germany co-chair Alice Weidal accused the CDU of joining a “left united front” and expressed regret that the CDU/CSU bloc refused to form a coalition with her party. She also sharply criticized the ruling coalition for its economic and migration policies.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz concluded the discussion, stating that his bloc condemns any manifestation of xenophobia, stressing that Germany would not have achieved its current successes without migrants. However, he also proposed to stop granting asylum to all migrants already registered in other EU countries. According to Mertz, the complete rejection of illegal migrants is “legally permissible and practically possible.”
As for Ukrainians, the new rules in Germany affected their total number. In July 2024, the number of Ukrainians who received temporary protection in Germany decreased by 236,925 people, down to 1.11 million. This reduction is due to the update of the policy regarding Ukrainians who are no longer in the country or have found asylum in other EU states. At the beginning of July 2024, 1.37 million Ukrainians with the status of temporary protection were registered in Germany, but by the end of the month this figure had decreased to 1.11 million.
Germany has decided to exclude from its registers those Ukrainians who have finally left the country or have already received protection elsewhere. This made it possible to update data on refugees and better coordinate assistance to those who really need support.
Changes in Germany also affected the general situation in Europe. If at the end of June 2024 there were 4.31 million Ukrainians with temporary protection in the EU countries, then by the end of July this indicator decreased to 4.12 million. This decrease of almost 190,000 people indicates that a significant part of Ukrainians is returning home or finding refuge in other countries.
