Bavaria urges end to aid for Ukrainian draft dodgers
Bavaria urges end to aid for Ukrainian draft dodgers (Photo:noelsch/pixabay)
Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann called for an end to aid payments to draft-eligible Ukrainian men who avoid military service, the German Welt TV reported on May 24.
"The least we can do is to stop paying welfare benefits to men who are actually obligated to military service in their home country," he said.
There are an estimated 200,000 military-age Ukrainian men living in Germany, out of a total of 980,000 refugees from the war-torn country.
"It should not be that we have accepted them and thus allowed them to avoid compulsory military service... There should be no bonus for those who desert." Herrmann said, noting that on the one hand, Germany is doing its best to support Ukraine, "and on the other hand, we are accepting soldiers."
He also called for a “fair distribution” of Ukrainian refugees across Europe, especially if their protection status is extended. He points out that countries like France have 20 times fewer Ukrainians than Germany.
On April 22, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry ordered all diplomatic missions to temporarily suspend services to men of military age, except for processing of documents for returning to the homeland.
On May 11, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz aid that Ukrainians with residence permits and employment in Germany could stay in the country, including military-age men.
"The legal status ensures residence. Employment secures it," he said at an RND newspaper group event, encouraging Ukrainians in Germany to seek jobs.
"We hope those from Ukraine will work when able. Many are, but hundreds of thousands are still needed in the labor market."
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