Number of young Ukrainians seeking protection in Germany has increased tenfold

After Ukraine eased its rules on travelling abroad for men aged 18 to 22, the number of young Ukrainians arriving in Germany to seek protection has increased tenfold.

According to Die Welt, the lifting of the ban on travel abroad for Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 has led to a sharp rise in protection applications from this group – from around 100 per week before the regulation came into force to roughly 1,000 per week afterwards, a spokesperson for Germany's Federal Ministry of the Interior told Funke Media Group.

The ministry said it is currently impossible to assess whether this is merely a temporary phenomenon.

The total number of people from Ukraine seeking protection in Germany also rose over the summer. According to the Interior Ministry, in May 2025, 7,961 Ukrainians were registered through the free registration system, compared with 11,277 in August and 18,755 in September.

Unlike asylum seekers from countries such as Syria or Afghanistan, those from Ukraine receive residence permits under Article 24 of Germany's Residence Act, which allows them immediate access to the labour market and social benefits.

As of 4 October 2025, a total of 1,293,672 people who fled Ukraine since February 2022 due to the war were registered in Germany's Central Register of Foreigners.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior could not provide an exact figure for how many Ukrainians have since left Germany. However, a ministry spokesperson said that by the end of September, around 450,000 Ukrainians were no longer registered as residents with German authorities.

On Tuesday, the Latvian government approved amendments to its law on support for the civilian population of Ukraine, which include scrapping certain measures such as start-up and self-employment assistance.

Meanwhile, surveys show that half of Poles believe their country's support for Ukrainian refugees is excessive, and almost as many oppose further admissions.