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Millions of Ukrainians are fleeing their country at war. In Germany, the preferred western state, they are welcoming them. Hospitality reminds you of 2015, but there are differences, writes Auron Dodi.
War refugees from Ukraine are being welcomed in Germany with impressive solidarity. They are warmly welcomed by the population, as well as state structures, states and municipalities.
Private persons with signs in their hands offer residential apartments for newcomers at train stations; municipalities open town halls to house refugees; municipal employees activate the first refugee reception centers of 2015; ordinary Germans organize neighbors and collect clothes and items of daily life for refugees; retirees offered to help in refugee collection centers. A common sight these days in many German cities.
According to the German Interior Ministry, to date over 283,000 war refugees have arrived in Germany from Ukraine. The number of immigrants may in fact be even higher, as Ukrainians have the right to come to Germany without a visa. As such they are not required to register. But now most are registering to receive assistance from the German state.
“Welcome Hall Land Berlin” – the first point of contact for refugees from Ukraine at the main train station in Berlin
In Germany, war refugees from Ukraine arrive mainly in Berlin and Hamburg, from where they are dispersed to other parts of Germany. For a period of time, up to 10,000 war refugees arrived in Berlin per day.
Structured support for refugees from Ukraine
The German state has made available to newcomers accommodation, offers for qualification, food, social assistance. The federation and the states discussed on Friday (01.04.) With Chancellor Olaf Scholz the sharing of considerable expenditures. There are offers of psychological treatment for traumatized refugees. Many refugee helpers have been sensitized to distinguish refugees with signs of war trauma, to then offer them special treatment.
Most of the newcomers are women with children. Education experts estimate that at least a third of the refugees from Ukraine to Germany are children or adolescents. They will need school or daycare.
“Classroom for Ukraine”, a hospitality class for Ukrainian children in Berlin
Schools in different parts of Germany are setting up hospitality classes for children from Ukraine. In these classes, efforts are made for refugees to learn German as soon as possible, and then to integrate into regular classes. In Berlin, e.g. there are already 50 such classes in the public schools of this land. “Welcome educational groups” have been set up in Bavaria.
Even in the day kindergartens, work is being done to expand the offer. There are cities where child care is provided by refugee women from Ukraine. Knowledge of German is very important for staying in Germany. The authorities see one of the main tasks for integration, expanding the offer of German language courses, for newcomers.
A girl reacts by attending the “Class for Ukraine”, a hospitality class for Ukrainian children in Berlin
Ukrainians receive work permits
Unlike the refugees of 2015/2016, Ukrainians have the right to work immediately. For the first time in the case of Ukraine, the European Union activated the so-called “mass flow directive”. As a result, refugees from Ukraine can stay in the EU for up to three years without applying for asylum. They immediately get a work permit.
German companies have posted thousands of job offers on online job placement portals. Provide jobs and internships for refugees from Ukraine. We are looking for employees with different qualifications, as Java and Cloud software developers, as well as nurses, florists, cooks and truck drivers.
Faster integration of Ukrainians
How long the refugees from Ukraine will stay in Germany is unknown.
Ukrainian ballerina Iana Salenko practices at the Staatsballet in Berlin
For those who will stay, according to the Empirica Research Institute, integration will be faster than that of other immigrants. In a mid-March study, the institute described the high level of education of newcomers, “especially women.” Even the German Minister of Labor, Hubertus Heil said that half of the newcomers have finished high schools, bring academic qualification.
For this reason the Federal Labor Agency and the Chambers of Commerce are working together to ensure that these people do not end up in second-tier jobs, e.g. facilitating the recognition of diplomas of newcomers. Refugee diplomas are often not equivalent to German diplomas. Another problem is the fact that some of the refugees could not take their documents with them.
Arrival rates have slowed
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), four million people have fled Ukraine to date. Most of the refugees have stayed in countries near Ukraine. About 1 million of them have continued their journey to the West, the European Commission announced. But in the meantime, fewer refugees are leaving Ukraine. Currently, about 40,000 people leave Ukraine every day. The highest departure rate was 200,000 people per day. In some areas, the first returns of refugees have begun.
Differences with the 2015 refugee wave
In 2015, hospitality in Germany for refugees was initially high. Then the atmosphere changed. Observers therefore question whether such a phenomenon could be repeated with war refugees from Ukraine.
There are some differences from the situation of 2015. In the autumn of 2015 the refugees were greeted with applause when they arrived in Germany. But the influx of refugees continued unabated, surpassing the figure of 850,000 people. Strong blow, enthusiasm took especially after the sexual assaults at the main train station of Cologne, on New Year’s Eve 2015/2016. Even the political debate in Germany, the statements of some politicians, then affected the reduction of support for refugees. Therefore the further attitude of politics will play a crucial role in the current culture of hospitality.
Refugees in Munich, 2015
War refugees from Ukraine are distinguished from the refugees of 2015/2016. Ukrainians are Europeans. Culturally they are closer to the population of the EU countries, even Germany, where they come from. One of the elements where the cultural difference with the refugees of the years 2015/2016 is noticed is e.g. even the typical division of roles in the family. Most Ukrainian women who come now find it natural to work. In this way, coexistence is easier.
Ukrainians are not unknown in Germany. Especially since 2014, many of them have come to Germany. They have created a community of about 300,000 Ukrainians in Germany.
The German authorities have also learned from the experience of 2015. The concept of treatment of newcomers has been improved. Newcomers are now treated integratively. In 2022, refugees are not expected to learn German once and then take the next steps. But in Jobcenters, in employment centers, we work at a pace and work in parallel: for finding housing, for the family situation and for cultural integration at the same time./DW
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