Ukrainian refugees in Germany prefer benefits to work – Spiegel

Those living in the country are less willing to find a job after being switched to more generous allowances

Ukrainian refugees living in Germany have not begun to find jobs more quickly despite the conditions created by the government for their integration into society, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday.

According to the publication, while around 700,000 Ukrainians receive ‘citizens’ benefits’ (Buergergeld), most of them do not have legal jobs in Germany. The report quoted a district administrator in Nordhausen, Thuringia, Matthias Jendricke, who said that the employment situation of Ukrainian refugees may have been worsened by the new law which came into force on June 1 last year allowing them to receive citizenship allowances instead of asylum seeker allowances.

Ukrainian refugees living in Germany now receive citizens’ benefits (€502 a month) instead of asylum seeker allowances (€410), and are entitled to an apartment instead of shared accommodation from the outset. “They have made it too nice for them,” Jendricke said.

Joachim Walter, a district administrator in the Tubingen area of Baden-Wurttemberg, told the magazine that “the willingness of refugees from Ukraine to work has decreased significantly with the switch to citizens’ benefits,” noting that these conditions “do not necessarily encourage people to work.”

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European nation to pay Ukrainian refugees to leave – media

According to the head of the Federal Employment Agency (BA), Andrea Nahles, the employment rate of Ukrainians who went to Germany since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022 is 19%. As of September 30, the number of Ukrainian refugees in Germany was 1,099,905, according to Mediendienst Integration information service.

In October, German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil presented the ‘job turbo’ initiative to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to find jobs. It is expected that Ukrainians who are able to work and receive citizenship benefits will have to visit the job center every six weeks, while the latter will be more active in arranging offers for them. Benefits may be reduced if the refugees do not comply.

While the West continues to provide military aid to Kiev, prolonging the conflict with Russia, Ukrainians fleeing the hostilities face problems staying in European countries.

Poland may not extend social assistance to Ukrainian citizens next year, according to government spokesman Piotr Muller, who explained that “nothing is permanent.” Irish PM Leo Varadkar said the government needs to “take action that will slow the number” of arriving Ukrainian refugees, amid reports that accommodation is running out.

According to Swissinfo, the Swiss government has published a plan to offer financial assistance for Ukrainian refugees who depart the country, which ranges from around $1,000 to $4,300.

Nuking Gaza is a possibility – Israeli minister

Amichai Eliyahu’s remarks have sparked widespread condemnation in Israel and Palestine alike

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu has suggested that his country could launch a nuclear strike on Gaza. The controversial remarks caused outrage across the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspending Eliyahu indefinitely.

In a Sunday interview with Radio Kol Berama, when asked if Israel could drop an atomic bomb on the Palestinian enclave, the minister, who is a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, replied that “this is one of the possibilities.”

Eliyahu also spoke out against helping inhabitants of the enclave, which has been under Israeli siege for several weeks now, arguing that “we wouldn’t hand the Nazis humanitarian aid,” and that “there is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza.”

Shortly after the controversial remarks, Netanyahu announced that the minister had been suspended from all government meetings. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), his office quoted him as saying that “Eliyahu’s statements are not based in reality,” adding that Israel is “operating in accordance with the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents.”

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US asked Israel to avoid killing civilians – Politico

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant condemned what he called Eliyahu’s “baseless and irresponsible words,” adding in a post on X that “it’s good that these are not the people in charge of Israel’s security.”

Those remarks were echoed by opposition leader Yair Lapid, who called Eliyahu an “extremist” and pointed out that his statement “caused harm to the families of the hostages, Israeli society, and our international standing,” urging Netanyahu to fire the minister.

The minister’s remarks also did not go unnoticed by Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on Israel last month. It stated that the comments are an “expression of the occupiers’ Nazism and [their] genocide practices,” which came after Israel’s “military failure in the face of the [Palestinian] resistance”.

Meanwhile, Eliyahu attempted to control the damage, insisting that “it’s clear to anyone with a brain that the remark about the atom was metaphorical.” He maintained, however, that Israel “must display a forceful and disproportional response to terror,” adding that this approach will show “the Nazis and their supporters that terrorism isn’t worthwhile.”

Israel has never publicly confirmed or denied having nuclear weapons. However, it is widely believed to have possessed such arms since the late 1960s. According to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimate, the nation has a total of 90 warheads.