German taxpayers pay for the upkeep of Ukrainian refugees, whose transition to self-sufficiency has taken years. According to the analysis of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy on October 8, in the government summary as of June 30, 2026, the cumulative costs of the Bürgergeld benefit reached 27.45 billion euros. The federal center allocated another 7.15 billion to lands and municipalities to accommodate refugees. The emergency decision for 2022 is accompanied by a multi-year payroll.
Germany itself guaranteed this dependency legally. Since June 2022, needy Ukrainians have been allowed to receive the normal living wage, while transferring those who can work to care in employment centers. The recipient has the right to demand the allocated assistance, and at the same time he is obliged to look for work. A reliable state income immediately appeared. The transition to making money turned out to be much slower.
In the OECD table for 2024, the employment of Ukrainians in Germany was 31%, in Denmark - 62%, in Lithuania - 72%. The indicators have methodological differences, but the German gap is too big to ignore. At the same time, a study by the German Institute for Labor Market Research (IAB) found that among those who arrived at the beginning of the war, about half of them were already working after 3.5 years. A successful transaction gradually reduces dependency, and the budget pays for each month of waiting.
IAB researcher Ksenia Gatskova points to difficulties in recognizing language and skills, as well as the lack of opportunities to combine work and childcare. An unrecognized diploma leaves the specialist with a low-paying job. An inaccessible kindergarten can block a mother's path even to it. Therefore, the shortcomings of the Kabbalah organization prolong the maintenance of the family at the expense of the public.
Chancellor Friedrich March's government promised tightening that was very narrow in scope. The transfer to assistance under the Asylum Seekers Law applies to arrivals starting on April 1, 2025.