Two months after the start of the war of aggression in Ukraine, the federal police registered almost 380,000 refugees from Ukraine, and the actual number is likely to be significantly higher.

Representatives of the federal, state, local authorities and civil society dealt with the accommodation and care of the refugees at a refugee summit in the Chancellery on Monday.

Helen Bubrowski

Political correspondent in Berlin.

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The federal government's integration commissioner, Reem Alabali-Radovan (SPD), spoke of a "national effort".

But she also mentioned areas “where we still have to do more”, including childcare and schooling.

"Need significantly more capacity"

The President of the Association of German Cities, Mayor of Münster Markus Lewe (CDU), also sees a need for improvement here.

“Together with the federal states, the cities have started to organize childcare and lessons for Ukrainian children – we need significantly more capacity here.” The federal government should contribute to the costs.

Faster recognition procedures for teachers from Ukraine are also necessary, Lewe demanded before the start of the meeting, which, in addition to Alabali-Radovan, also included Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD), Building Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD), and Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) and State Secretary Ekin Deligöz (Greens) for the Ministry of Family Affairs.

The federal, state and local governments are faced with the difficulty that demand depends on the course of the war and can therefore only be planned to a limited extent.

"Many refugees want to return to their homeland as soon as possible, but it is uncertain when that will be possible," said Alabali-Radovan.

Therefore, prospects and opportunities for participation in Germany are needed.

Interior Minister Faeser spoke of a "close alliance" between the federal government, the federal states, the municipalities and civil society.

They are working flat out to bring about the necessary changes in the law, such as equal treatment of Ukrainians with other beneficiaries of protection.

A lot has been learned from the last major refugee movement in 2015, says Faeser.