Scholz of Germany Keen on Employing Ukrainian Refugees Immediately
German Chancellor Scholz asserts that while his government’s employment scheme has seen some success, there is room for enhancement. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed a desire for a greater number of Ukrainian refugees in Germany to enter the workforce, countering criticisms regarding the effectiveness of his government’s initiatives to enhance employment rates among these newcomers.
Since the escalation of the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv in February 2022, Germany has become a major destination for Ukrainian refugees within the EU. Estimates suggest that over a million Ukrainians currently reside in the country.
A report from Stern magazine in late October indicated that around 720,000 Ukrainians are receiving ‘Burgergeld,’ or citizen’s benefits, which reportedly costs German taxpayers €539 million each month.
In a session at the German parliament on Wednesday, an opposition MP from the Christian Democratic Union questioned the success of the government’s ‘Job Turbo’ employment scheme, which specifically targets Ukrainian refugees. In response, Scholz noted that while the initiative has increased the employment of refugees, he acknowledged that “this cannot suffice yet.”
The chancellor remarked, “so many [refugees] have been [staying] here for so long, and they must actually get started now.” He mentioned having substantial discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who plans to “establish a Ukrainian agency in Germany and in Poland, which would support Ukrainians either in their return [home] or in employment in Germany.”
“We must look at ways to ensure that as many [Ukrainian refugees] as possible look for work after all the measures toward language acquisition and other things have taken place,” he concluded.
In September, Scholz expressed his desire for “Ukrainians to work.” However, in the following month, Stern reported, referencing an analysis from the Federal Audit Office, that the ‘Job Turbo’ initiative had largely underperformed, accounting for “less than one percent of recruitments [among refugees] registered in 2024.”
The auditors noted “considerable deficiencies in job-centers’ integration efforts,” revealing that counseling was provided in roughly a third of the cases this year. This situation has reportedly contributed to an increase in refugees dropping out of integration courses. Launched in October, Job Turbo was initially positioned as a means to reduce government dependency for up to 400,000 refugees, including those from Ukraine and other countries.
According to Stern, only 30% of Ukrainian refugees were employed in Germany as of June 2024, a figure significantly lower than those in neighboring nations.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
Since the escalation of the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv in February 2022, Germany has become a major destination for Ukrainian refugees within the EU. Estimates suggest that over a million Ukrainians currently reside in the country.
A report from Stern magazine in late October indicated that around 720,000 Ukrainians are receiving ‘Burgergeld,’ or citizen’s benefits, which reportedly costs German taxpayers €539 million each month.
In a session at the German parliament on Wednesday, an opposition MP from the Christian Democratic Union questioned the success of the government’s ‘Job Turbo’ employment scheme, which specifically targets Ukrainian refugees. In response, Scholz noted that while the initiative has increased the employment of refugees, he acknowledged that “this cannot suffice yet.”
The chancellor remarked, “so many [refugees] have been [staying] here for so long, and they must actually get started now.” He mentioned having substantial discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who plans to “establish a Ukrainian agency in Germany and in Poland, which would support Ukrainians either in their return [home] or in employment in Germany.”
“We must look at ways to ensure that as many [Ukrainian refugees] as possible look for work after all the measures toward language acquisition and other things have taken place,” he concluded.
In September, Scholz expressed his desire for “Ukrainians to work.” However, in the following month, Stern reported, referencing an analysis from the Federal Audit Office, that the ‘Job Turbo’ initiative had largely underperformed, accounting for “less than one percent of recruitments [among refugees] registered in 2024.”
The auditors noted “considerable deficiencies in job-centers’ integration efforts,” revealing that counseling was provided in roughly a third of the cases this year. This situation has reportedly contributed to an increase in refugees dropping out of integration courses. Launched in October, Job Turbo was initially positioned as a means to reduce government dependency for up to 400,000 refugees, including those from Ukraine and other countries.
According to Stern, only 30% of Ukrainian refugees were employed in Germany as of June 2024, a figure significantly lower than those in neighboring nations.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
