Overview
- Ukrainians arriving in Germany on or after April 1, 2025 would no longer receive Bürgergeld and would instead fall under the lower asylum-seeker benefits regime.
- Social Minister Bärbel Bas criticized the change but said the government will implement it, confirming the coalition agreement.
- Bas said immediate access to the labor market will remain and the Federal Employment Agency will continue advising affected refugees.
- The draft removes a legal entitlement to certain funding measures, which Bas acknowledged with regret.
- Critics warn the shift could make language and integration courses harder to access and hinder labor-market outcomes, while the Union anticipates state savings.