A rising number of Ukrainians who fled to Germany after Russia’s invasion are planning to remain in the country for longer as the war drags on and integration into society progresses.
About 44% of respondents in a survey conducted in early 2023 said they intend to stay either for several years or even for good — up from 39% in an earlier poll, according to the German Institute for Economic Research.
Around a year after their arrival, 18% had found a job — which researcher Markus Grabka called a “pleasingly high” number for that amount of time. Three-quarters were taking a language course or had finished one already, an important precondition to work.
The results among almost 7,000 respondents are “encouraging,” Grabka said in a report published Wednesday. “Social participation has recently made significant progress.”
Germany accepted more than a million Ukrainian refugees last year, more than any European Union nation except Poland. Most were women or children, presenting unique hurdles to full-scale integration into the labor market.
A key challenge is to provide sufficient childcare, especially for the youngest, so parents are free to attend classes or find work, according to the study, which was conducted by several research institutes. Only 6 of 10 children of ages 3-6 were in daycare.
Successful integration of refugees into the labor market would relieve German employers, who’re increasingly desperate to find qualified workers. Unemployment has remained low by historical standards, despite a recent recession and the toughest monetary-tightening campaign of the euro era.
The government should also take a quick decision over whether and for how long to extend residency permissions, which are scheduled to run out in March 2024, according to the report.
