Latest news with #Ukrainian migrants
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Russia Today
UK increasingly turning away Ukrainian migrants
British authorities have increasingly been denying Ukrainian migrants the right to extend their stay in the UK, according to the BBC's Russian service. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February of 2022, the UK has accepted over 250,000 Ukrainians. However, the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme, which provided three-year visas to those fleeing the fighting, was recently closed to new applicants, and existing visas are now beginning to expire. In an article published on Thursday, the BBC reported that since the beginning of this year, British authorities have been refusing to grant permanent protection status to Ukrainians on a large scale, arguing that the western regions of their home country are safe. While the Home Office has consistently emphasized that the scheme is temporary, up until recently several options had remained available for Ukrainians wishing to stay in the UK. According to the outlet, the authorities appear to have tightened the criteria for granting long-term humanitarian protection and work visas to Ukrainians since early 2025. The BBC quoted a legal counselor as saying that 'positive decisions are extremely rare and look more like exceptions,' even in cases involving disabled or chronically ill Ukrainians. In recent months, several other British media outlets, including The Guardian and The Telegraph, have published reports describing the same apparent trend in refusals. Across the Channel, several EU member states have also been revising their policies toward Ukrainians. Talk of possible immigrant exit strategies has increased due to a 'shifting geopolitical landscape,' Euractiv reported in June. On Wednesday, German media reported that Labor Minister Barbel Bas had submitted a draft bill, which proposes reducing benefits for Ukrainians, citing financial strain from the continued influx of migrants. In Poland, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz stated in March that Poles were growing increasingly frustrated over 'hundreds of thousands, or maybe even over a million young Ukrainians driving the best cars around Europe and spending weekends in five-star hotels.'
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Russia Today
UK increasingly turning down Ukrainian migrants
British authorities have increasingly been denying Ukrainian migrants the right to extend their stay in the UK, according to the BBC's Russian service. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February of 2022, the UK has accepted over 250,000 Ukrainians. However, the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme, which provided three-year visas to those fleeing the fighting, was recently closed to new applicants, and existing visas are now beginning to expire. In an article published on Thursday, the BBC reported that since the beginning of this year, British authorities have been refusing to grant permanent protection status to Ukrainians on a large scale, arguing that the western regions of their home country are safe. While the Home Office has consistently emphasized that the scheme is temporary, up until recently several options had remained available for Ukrainians wishing to stay in the UK. According to the outlet, the authorities appear to have tightened the criteria for granting long-term humanitarian protection and work visas to Ukrainians since early 2025. The BBC quoted a legal counselor as saying that 'positive decisions are extremely rare and look more like exceptions,' even in cases involving disabled or chronically ill Ukrainians. In recent months, several other British media outlets, including The Guardian and The Telegraph, have published reports describing the same apparent trend in refusals. Across the Channel, several EU member states have also been revising their policies toward Ukrainians. Talk of possible immigrant exit strategies has increased due to a 'shifting geopolitical landscape,' Euractiv reported in June. On Wednesday, German media reported that Labor Minister Barbel Bas had submitted a draft bill, which proposes reducing benefits for Ukrainians, citing financial strain from the continued influx of migrants. In Poland, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz stated in March that Poles were growing increasingly frustrated over 'hundreds of thousands, or maybe even over a million young Ukrainians driving the best cars around Europe and spending weekends in five-star hotels.'
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Germany to slash payments for Ukrainians
Germany's Labor Ministry has proposed cutting benefits for Ukrainian migrants, citing growing financial strain from the continued influx of newcomers. Labor Minister Barbel Bas submitted a draft bill to remove Ukrainians from the so-called 'citizen's allowance' program – a benefit normally reserved for non-working Germans – and place them under the standard asylum seeker system, German media reported on Wednesday. Under standard asylum support a person receives €441 ($514), compared to €563 under the citizen's allowance. The new rules would apply only to Ukrainians arriving after April 1, 2025. Those who came earlier would keep their current benefits. According to the Federal Employment Agency, around 700,000 Ukrainians are currently receiving the allowance. Since April 1, about 21,000 more have arrived who could be affected by the new rules. The proposal has been sent for approval by other federal departments, and must then pass through the Cabinet and the Bundestag, expected to be adopted by year's end. Germany spent around €6.3 billion or some 13% of the citizens' allowance budget on Ukrainian migrants in 2024. Officials estimate the reform could save the federal government about €1.3 billion in 2026. Critics say the plan won't significantly reduce public spending. Head of Bavaria Markus Soder and a number of other officials have called for ending the citizen's allowance for all Ukrainians, regardless of when they arrived. Of the 1.2 million Ukrainians that Germany has accepted over the past three years, as of May, only 332,000 were employed. Authorities across Germany have increasingly warned that the cost of supporting refugees is putting unsustainable pressure on public finances. The wider EU is facing similar challenges. As of May 2025, 4.3 million Ukrainians had been granted temporary protection across the bloc, which includes access to housing, education, and work. While the scheme has been extended through March 2027, several EU countries have been reviewing their support programs, citing rising costs and limited resources.
