The Prime Minister of Bavaria believes that young men from Ukraine should stay home and defend their homeland rather than coming to Germany. Markus Söder called for convincing Kyiv to change the exit rules or take measures at the EU level.
The Prime Minister of Bavaria and leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), which is part of the ruling coalition in Germany, Markus Söder, has called for limiting the entry of young Ukrainian men into Germany. "It won’t help anyone if even more young people from Ukraine come to Germany instead of defending their homeland," the conservative politician stated in an interview with Bild, an excerpt of which was published on Thursday, October 23.
Söder emphasized that Germany provides full support to Ukraine with weapons, money, and humanitarian aid. "However, more Ukrainian soldiers are needed to defend their country," he continued. "Our solidarity remains, but it requires clear rules and responsibility from both sides. If this cannot be done voluntarily (from Ukraine’s side), then the Directive on Mass Influx (also known as the Temporary Protection Directive) should be limited at the EU level."
On October 20, after a CSU board meeting in Munich, Söder had already expressed support for limiting entry for Ukrainians. "Regarding Ukraine, reasonable and clear rules are needed. This means closing the topic of Bürgergeld (citizen's allowance). But it also means restricting access and influx (of Ukrainian migrants to Germany). It would be better for young Ukrainians to stay in their homeland," Söder said, referring to their military service.
Young Ukrainian Men Allowed to Leave the Country
As of August 28, Ukrainian men aged 18-22 have been allowed to leave the country freely. Until that date, the martial law in Ukraine, which has been in effect since the beginning of the full-scale war unleashed by Russia, prohibited adult men under 60 from leaving the country, with rare exceptions.
"The goal of this step is primarily to provide young Ukrainians with broader opportunities for education, internships, and legal employment abroad, so that the experience they gain can subsequently be used for the development of Ukraine," wrote Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko on Telegram.
More Young Ukrainians Entering Germany
After Kyiv lifted the ban on the departure of Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 in August, the number of applications for temporary protection in Germany from this group increased from about 100 to 1,000 per week, the German Ministry of the Interior reported on October 15.
The total number of Ukrainian citizens seeking protection in Germany has also increased. According to the Ministry of the Interior, in May 2025, 7,961 people from Ukraine were registered through the registration system, in August - 11,277, and in September - 18,755. Ukrainians receive residence permits under §24 of the Residence Act, which grants them immediate access to the labor market and social benefits.
Söder: Ukrainians in Germany Should Work More
On August 24, in a "Summer Interview" with ARD, the Prime Minister of Bavaria called for increasing "incentives to work" in Germany, including for Ukrainian refugees. "The current system leads to significantly fewer Ukrainians working in Germany compared to other countries, even though they are well-educated. This is a major difference from people from other parts of the world. What we are doing in Germany is truly absurd. We have well-educated people, but we create incentives for them not to work. Only Germany does this. No one in Europe understands it," Söder said.
Later, he clarified that many Ukrainians are already working in Germany. "But they could be doing much more," added the Bavarian Prime Minister.
On August 3, Söder stated that the provision of citizen's allowance for all Ukrainians in Germany should be abolished. "We need to finally ensure that anyone who can work goes to work. For example, in the case of Ukrainians, we need to ensure that they no longer receive Bürgergeld. And it would be best if this applied not only to those who will come in the future but to all," Söder said.
