More than half of the people who fled from Ukraine plan to stay in Germany permanently. According to a study commissioned by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, 59 percent of those surveyed in 2023 planned not to return to Ukraine. Among those who arrived in Germany later, the figure was 69 percent, compared to 39 percent in the late summer of 2022.
The researchers identified language skills, employment and living with the core family as the most important factors for a long-term intention to stay. Ninety-one percent of the respondents mentioned an end to the war and 63 percent a better economic situation in Ukraine as conditions for a return. Less frequently, a government change (23 percent) and free elections (15 percent) were mentioned.
The study also examined other integration indicators: in the year of the investigation, 70 percent of the refugees participated in integration courses and 22 percent were employed. Over 210,000 Ukrainian children and adolescents attended German schools, with 60 percent integrated into regular education. Three-quarters possessed a Ukrainian professional qualification and about one-fifth applied for recognition in Germany. Eighty-three percent have now moved into private apartments and are no longer living in collective accommodations. However, according to the survey, there are still obstacles, such as accessing the healthcare system, where finding one’s way around is a challenge.
For the annual survey commissioned by the Bamf, around 3,400 people from approximately 2,220 households were surveyed between July 2023 and January 2024.