The Federal Ministry of the Interior currently greets every visitor to its Internet website with the formula "Welcome to Germany".

It is a greeting addressed to Ukrainian refugees and is also repeated in Cyrillic Ukrainian.

The salute indicates what the Berlin Ministry of the Interior is currently most concerned with - the distribution, housing and status determination of Ukrainians who are fleeing the Russian war of aggression in their homeland.

Johannes Leithauser

Political correspondent in Berlin.

  • Follow I follow

Another indication of this is that Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) traveled to Kyiv with her cabinet colleague, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, on Monday and both presumably discussed the situation of the Ukrainians with their respective departmental colleagues came to Germany.

The Ministry of the Interior gave only brief information about Faeser's visit to Ukraine on Monday.

She had traveled there "to get an impression of what was happening on the spot" and was also holding "talks" with representatives of the Ukrainian government.

Many refugees have probably left Germany

Faeser's concerns in Kyiv will include a comparison of numbers and data.

According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, more than 915,000 war refugees have been recorded in the Central Register of Foreigners since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, almost all (890,605) were Ukrainian nationals.

More than three quarters of the registered adults were women;

almost 130,000 registered were children of primary school age between six and eleven years.

The Ministry of the Interior also stated that it was unclear how many of those captured were still in Germany.

A significant number may have returned to Ukraine or traveled to third countries.

Unlike civil war refugees from Syria or Afghanistan, refugees from Ukraine do not have to apply for asylum or be recognized as civil war refugees, and are therefore not tied to a specific place of residence.

In March, the European Union stipulated that the so-called mass refugee directive should be applied to Ukrainian refugees in the EU member states for the first time.

however, they must submit an application for a corresponding residence permit with reference to this directive.

The culture ministries of the federal states would also like precise data on the number of Ukrainian families who want to stay in Germany for the time being.

According to surveys in the federal states, almost 150,000 children and young people were admitted to German schools by the beginning of the summer holidays.

However, since compulsory schooling does not start until six months after arrival, additional Ukrainian students may have to be integrated into the German school system in the fall.

However, Faeser and Heil began their visit to Kyiv with a visit to the city of Irpin in the north of Kyiv, which in March had been temporarily conquered by Russian troops and had become the scene of numerous atrocities.

The Federal Minister of the Interior then said that Germany wanted to strengthen cooperation with Ukraine in solving Russian war crimes.

An existing cooperation between Ukrainian authorities and the Federal Criminal Police Office should be expanded.

Faeser also stated that their consultations in Kyiv were not primarily concerned with the issue of German arms deliveries to Ukraine.

"But," she continued, "of course we also want to help with weapons, and we have done so so far."

Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil spoke in Kyiv of "administrative advice and assistance" for the Ukrainian side.

For example, Germany can also provide advice to Ukrainians who have lost their jobs in their country as a result of the war.

Heil said Ukraine was also suffering from a "wartime economic crisis" as a result of the Russian attack.

He further stated that the offer of help from Germany included support for Ukraine on its way to the European Union.

Germany wants to "also advise step by step on the adoption of European legislation in labor market and social policy".