Nearly half of Ukrainian refugees want to stay in Germany

A study published on Wednesday (12 July) shows German progress on the integration of Ukrainian refugees, as an increasing number want to stay and many are looking to work.

According to research by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) 44% of Ukrainians intend to stay in Germany for the long term – 5% more than in the first round of interviews, which was conducted in the summer of 2022.

“Family-related aspects are particularly important in this case, for example, if a child or a partner still lives in Ukraine. If this is the case, the inclination to stay is lower,” said Markus M. Grabka, one of the study’s authors and a senior researcher at the DIW.

Due to Russia’s invasion, Ukrainians are currently allowed to stay in the European Union until March 2024 under a special protection status.

In 2022 alone, around 1.1 million Ukrainians fled to Germany, making them currently the second-largest immigrant group in the country. As men are only allowed to leave Ukraine under certain narrow conditions, 63% of the refugees are women while 35% are minors.

Integration aided by prospects in Germany

The integration of Ukrainian refugees into society is showing some promise, according to the experts behind the study.

“[Our] intermittent conclusion is encouraging – social participation has made considerable progress recently,” Grabka said.

The study recorded a surge in Ukrainians who have attended German and so-called “integration” classes from half of the interviewees one year ago to three-quarters in early 2023. The number of people without knowledge of the German language has fallen by more than half.

Importantly, the authors found a positive correlation between the intention to stay and class attendance as well as language skills. They believe that the prospect of building a future in the country is an incentive to integrate.

The trend suggests that the special pathway for Ukrainian refugees has paid off. Arrivals from the country are protected under terms that differ from the regular asylum regime. This allows them to stay in private accommodation, as most interviewees did, and seek employment.

While only 18% of Ukrainians were working, more than two-thirds of those who did not, intend to do so soon. Both employment and the quality of accommodation are linked to a greater willingness to stay.

Childcare and certainty needed

However, the integration of Ukrainians is still not a “sure-fire success”, Yuliya Kosyakova, a migration expert at the IAB and co-author of the study, warned.

The study pointed to the need to enhance childcare offerings to boost language learning and employment among the large number of women with children.

“[Ukrainian] refugees require certainty if they’re allowed to stay in Germany long-term. This is especially important for acquiring language skills and employment,” Kosyakova added. The current protection status runs until 2024, but can be renewed depending on developments in Ukraine.

[Edited by Oliver Noyan/Benjamin Fox]