Germany is not conducting any kind of selection of Ukrainian refugees. Germany continues to receive all refugees from Ukraine. Ukrainians do not have to apply for asylum, they are granted temporary protection status which includes all social benefits provided for in Germany’s Residence Law Article 24. Once registered with the authorities, these protections are valid for one year and may be extended for up to three years.
A video of a man declaring that Germany is finally beginning to filter out refugees from Ukraine and requiring them to report all their property is actively circulating on social networks. If a refugee owns a car whose value exceeds 7,500 euros, he must sell that car and live on those proceeds, otherwise he will be threatened with criminal liability for concealing information, the man announces. The video has racked up millions of views on TicToc and Facebook.
“The party’s over for refugees from Ukraine who are in Germany and have money. From June 1, all Ukrainian refugees will be transferred from social structures to the Jobs Center structure. And there they are obliged to declare all their assets. Regarding cars, I want to emphasize that if the value of the car doesn’t exceed 7,500 euros, then you have the right to keep it and continue receiving social benefits. If the value of the car exceeds 7,500 then you are obliged to sell it and live off the proceeds of the sale. In the event of fraud or hiding of funds and assets, those persons will be held criminally liable and prosecuted” a man named Martirosov announces in a TikTok video.
Martirosov also claims that Germany will ask Ukraine to provide information about property and assets of its citizens who have fled as refugees to Germany.
First of all, Germany is not practicing any selection or filtering of refugees. Secondly, the Martirosov8 TitTok account regularly posts disinformation about Ukrainians. Recently he patently lied, saying that all men must return to Ukraine within 15 days of leaving the country or face 5-10 years imprisonment.
Germany is accepting all Ukrainian refugees and Ukrainians are given a type of special status. Although they do not need to apply for asylum, they are nonetheless provided with “temporary protection” which includes all the social benefits provided for in the country’s residence law. Refugees are required to register with the authorities, upon registration they are granted temporary protection that is valid for one year and can be extended up to three years.
Germany has also said the country would not set a limit on the number of refugees from Ukraine.
According to the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, as of June 1, 2022, Ukrainian refugees in need of assistance will receive social benefits outlined in Germany’s Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch), and not the Law on Benefits for asylum seekers (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz) as it was before.
A prerequisite for receiving benefits is fingerprinting, a photograph and an application for a residence permit for temporary protection and confirmation that the applicants meet other requirements for basic income support benefits under the German Social Code.
On the website of the ministry, when asked if I can use my funds when applying for assistance, it is indicated that “income and assets of a person are taken into account if they can really be accessed. Not all income and assets of a person are taken into account; various exceptions apply. Assets in Ukraine are currently considered unavailable. Therefore, they are excluded.”
Official German sources provide more information about the financial support offered to Ukrainian refugees. The new changes effective June 1, 2022 are also outlined in a special brochure: “The new changes mean that from June 1, 2022 the allowance will increase slightly. Refugees will be entitled to health insurance and will receive additional assistance in integrating into the German labor market. A prerequisite is a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) or a temporary residence permit (Fiktionskbescheinigung). People of retirement age (born before July 1, 1956) will be supported by the social security section (Sozialamt) while employment age persons will be supported by the Jobcenter.
There are no selection or filtration procedures in processing Ukrainian refugees, no need to report your property in Ukraine in detail, or the cost of a vehicle you might possess.
StopFake has repeatedly refuted Russian disinformation about Ukrainian refugees in stories such as Fake: Almost all Mariupol refugees want to go to Russia, Manipulation: Ukrainian refugees in Italy assault Russian port Joseph Brodsky’s granddaughter, Fake: all Ukrainian refugees willingly going to Russia.
