Overview
- Ukraine’s government on August 28 allowed men aged 18–22 to leave the country during martial law, altering previous wartime exit restrictions.
- Polish Border Guard data show 98,500 crossings by Ukrainians aged 18–22 since August 28, compared with 45,300 from January through late August, or roughly 1,600 per day.
- Germany recorded rising arrivals through its special registration system, with 7,961 in May, 11,277 in August and 18,755 in September, and an estimated 1,600–1,800 young entrants per week in October.
- German conservative lawmaker Jürgen Hardt questioned hosting young Ukrainian men, and Poland’s Konfederacja party objected to accepting them as refugees, while Germany’s Interior Ministry urged caution pending fuller data.
- The mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk reported local labor shortages tied to the departures and said the city is training women as bus drivers to fill gaps.