Federal and state governments on Ukraine refugees: “It’s a big task”

The federal and state governments want to help refugees from Ukraine quickly and easily. Chancellor Scholz said it was a “major task” that everyone faced together. He promises financial aid to the countries.

The federal and state governments want to tackle the admission of war refugees from Ukraine as a joint task and set the course for rapid integration in Germany. This was emphasized by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) after a Prime Ministers’ conference. Scholz promised the federal states and municipalities financial support for taking in and caring for the refugees.

Protection, medical care, work

The number of refugees from Ukraine is increasing day by day – against this background, Scholz spoke of a “big task”. The federal and state governments agree that people fleeing violence and bombs should be given protection, medical care and access to the job market and schools quickly and easily. The federal and state governments would “bundle all their available forces”.

Refugees should be entitled to health services. For the older ones among them, old people’s and nursing homes would have to be found, the federal-state committee stated.

Proposals for federal participation

Scholz said a working group had been set up to work out proposals by the next prime ministers’ conference. On April 7th, a decision will then be made as to what extent the federal government will participate in the finances. The federal states and municipalities are primarily responsible for taking in and caring for the expellees.

Scholz also thanked the many volunteers. The current commitment to taking in the refugees shows “an overwhelming culture of helpfulness and solidarity”.

Wüst: “National task”

Wüst, who currently chairs the Prime Ministers’ Conference, emphasized the great willingness to help in the federal states. There is a “huge willingness to tackle and help,” he said.

However, taking in the refugees from the Ukraine is a “national task” that the federal, state and local governments “can only do together”. It is a “strength, also financially,” said Wüst. He therefore sees the federal government as having an obligation “to support those who do the work on site”.

Wüst emphasized: “Our municipalities will not be able to do this alone.” It is important that women and children are housed in makeshift accommodation for as short a time as possible and that they don’t have to “sit on packed suitcases” all the time, said the North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister.

Own accommodation in the medium term

The Governing Mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey (SPD), agreed. She emphasized: “Of course, exhibition halls and airport terminals are not a permanent solution”. She wanted to avoid accommodation in gyms, also to ensure long-term acceptance of the relief measures among the population.

According to current information, around a third of the refugees are accommodated in accommodation provided by the federal states, and two thirds of the people in private accommodation. However, these people would also need their own accommodation in the medium term.

Rapid integration required

The federal and state governments also agree that the Ukrainian refugees should be integrated into everyday life in Germany as quickly as possible. Irrespective of the question of how long the refugees would stay in Germany, they should be treated accordingly, emphasized Scholz, Giffey and Wüst.

It is important to set the right course from the start. “We cannot assume that the children will not have to learn German,” emphasized Giffey. If the children could soon return to their homeland, that would be “wonderful”, but in the end no one can say when that time will come.

Scholz also said that integration cannot wait: “We must not always repeat the mistake that at the beginning of such a development everything is based on the fact that it is only temporary.”

Hanover, Berlin and Cottbus as hubs

In addition to Hanover and Berlin, Cottbus is to become the third hub for the distribution of people from the Ukraine. From Wednesday, six special trains with a total of up to 3,600 people should arrive there every day. “It is planned that there should be a seamless onward distribution from Cottbus to the federal territory and also to neighboring European countries, said Lord Mayor Holger Kelch. This should relieve Berlin, where thousands of refugees recently arrived. The Berlin Senate had more and more support required by the federal government and other federal states.

Registration still incomplete

The registration of the Ukraine refugees is currently still incomplete in Germany. The federal police carry out random checks at the border and on trains. According to this count, more than 187,000 war refugees have arrived in Germany to date. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, more and more people are now being registered in initial reception centres. These refugees are then distributed evenly across the federal states according to a key.

Anyone who finds accommodation privately or travels on to another EU country is currently not included in the statistics. Ukrainian citizens can enter the EU without a visa and stay in the EU for 90 days without an additional permit.