Asylum benefit instead of civil allowance: Design: New supply for Ukrainians not cheaper

According to the figures of the Ministry of Social Affairs, the planned supply of new Ukrainian refugees with asylum seekers instead of citizenship benefit brings practically no savings for the federal government. This emerges from the draft speaker from the house of Minister of Social Affairs Bärbel Bas, which is available to the German Press Agency.

The draft is intended to implement the so-called legal area change, which the black-red coalition is planning: people from Ukraine who come to Germany after April 1, 2025 should no longer receive civil allowance, but less services such as asylum seekers. The sentence for single people is 441 euros, while there are 563 euros in the citizens’ allowance. Health services are also limited under asylum seekers.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Social Affairs in the draft law almost expects a zero -sum game: for 2026, a total of around 1.32 billion euros are less costs for civil allowance, basic security and aids for living in the federal government, the states and municipalities. However, the additional costs for services according to the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act are estimated at 1.375 billion euros. These arise from the federal states and municipalities, which are to be compensated by the federal government.

“Less savings for the total budget”

Minister of Social Affairs Bas had already predicted some time ago that there would be no major savings. Although these costs are “out of my budget”, they would have to be compensated for, said the SPD politician in mid-July on ZDF. “That means that this is less saving for the total household,” said Bas at the time.

Ukrainians came to Germany in the large escape movement after the Russian major attack on Ukraine in 2022, but through a special rule, the so -called mass current directive. They were allowed to work immediately and, if they could not earn their livelihood, be entitled to citizenship. At this point it is now set. However, people do not have to make asylum applications. And they retain the right to start work immediately.

Design goes into the departmental vote

Around 700,000 Ukrainians are currently entitled to civil allowance, including around 200,000 children. Around 6.3 billion euros were paid to Ukrainians in 2024. Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had proposed not only to supply the newcomers, but also the refugees living here with asylum seekers. BAS rejects the.

According to the information, a total of 1.2 million refugees from Ukraine have come since 2022. According to the official information, 332,000 of them were in employment. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, around 21,000 Ukrainians have been added since April 1st. The draft initially goes into coordination with other federal government departments, then into the cabinet and then to the Bundestag.