Recently, both in Ukraine and abroad, an active discussion has been ongoing – what to do with men who have gone abroad? The Ukrainian government calls on citizens liable for military service to return. This is also supported by German opposition politicians.
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Moreover, the entire European Union is discussing how exactly to “stimulate” Ukrainians to return and defend their country, writes Amal Berlin.
Currently, there are 210 thousand men of military age from Ukraine on the territory of Germany. Of these, 125 thousand receive social payments. Some politicians are already calling not only to stop paying them money, but to help them serve subpoenas. However, the ruling coalition is against it.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, millions of people have fled Ukraine. A significant part of them are located in Germany. According to the Central Register of Foreigners (AZR), over the past two years, more than 250 thousand men of military age from Ukraine have entered Germany. As of January 31, 2024, almost all of them, namely 210 thousand, were still in Germany. According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, 160 thousand of them are liable for military service, that is, aged 27-60 years.
Note that, with some exceptions, men aged 18-60 years are prohibited from leaving Ukraine. Despite this, many eligible for military service simply ran away – according to preliminary estimates, about 650 thousand Ukrainians of this age live in the EU, Switzerland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
In 2023, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense started talking about the need to return the escaped men. Subsequently, the government emphasized that it was not planning any coercive measures. However, talks about the repatriation of the “evaders”, including through the mediation of their host countries, continue.
We will not force people to serve in the military against their will,” says Justice Minister Marco Buschmann.
Alexander Müller, speaker for defense policy of the FDP parliamentary faction, reminds: according to the German constitution, no one can serve in the armed forces against their will.
It would be inhumane to force people from other countries. Discrimination against male refugees must also not be tolerated.”
However, there is another side to the issue – money, writes Amal Berlin.
According to the Federal Employment Agency, more than 125 thousand Ukrainians fit for military service receive social assistance.
These payments indirectly counteract Ukraine’s defense efforts, and also do not correspond to our understanding of compulsory military service and the defense of our own country,” notes Florian Hahn, representative for defense policy of the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction.
Moreover, he states: it is necessary not only to stop payments to Ukrainians liable for military service in Germany, but also to help with serving them with summonses.
At the beginning of the year, the Office of the President of Ukraine called on Western partners to stop financial payments to Ukrainian refugees so that they would return home and support their homeland as taxpayers or military personnel. Germany reacted to this with skepticism, especially in the ruling coalition.
All refugees entitled to reside in Germany should receive the same benefits, regardless of their origin, says Müller.
The Federal Ministry of Labor also emphasizes that the subsistence allowance is provided for by constitutional law. This means that all Ukrainians in Germany, including “evaders” who cannot support themselves, have the right to social benefits.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.