After Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive, which guarantees Ukrainian refugees access to housing, healthcare, and the labor market. The exact level of assistance, however, is determined by the member states. In recent years, they have moved toward scaling back their support packages. How assistance for Ukrainian refugees has changed in 2025 compared to 2022 — read in this chart of the week.
As of May 2025, more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees are living in European Union countries that granted them temporary protection in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to official data, Germany hosts the largest number – over 1.19 million Ukrainians. Poland is second, with nearly 987,000. The Czech Republic, which has taken in about 373,000, ranks third and also has one of the highest per-capita shares of refugees in the EU. Beyond these countries, sizable Ukrainian communities can be found in France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, and the Baltic states.
Figure 1. Number of Ukrainian refugees in European Union countries, May 2025
Source: Eurostat
In Germany, to receive benefits and rights under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act, an application for social assistance could be submitted to the social welfare office (Sozialamt) regardless of whether the individual had applied to the foreigners’ office for a residence permit. In 2022, refugees with assets of less than €200 were entitled to unemployment assistance (Bürgergeld) of €367 per month. Beginning in 2024, this payment rose to €563. In addition, Ukrainian refugees in Germany were provided with free housing, healthcare, and education. However, the new government that came to power at the start of 2025 introduced certain restrictions. At the end of June this year, the Bundestag voted to suspend refugees’ right to family reunification. Chancellor Merz also stressed the introduction of stricter rules for receiving Bürgergeld. His government’s policy is driven in part by domestic competition with the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany party, whose main political tool is anti-migration populist rhetoric.
The wave of European elections in 2024-2025 also affected Ukrainians in Poland. At the start of the full-scale invasion, every Ukrainian who crossed Poland’s border after February 24, 2022, was entitled to a one-time cash payment of 300 zlotys per person (about €70). However, as of July 1, 2022, this payment for newly arrived Ukrainians was abolished. Currently, asylum seekers from Ukraine can work or study in Poland, including at higher education institutions, and receive free healthcare. People with serious illnesses or disabilities are eligible for social assistance. As of January 1, 2024, child benefits rose from 500 to 800 zlotys per child. In August 2025, newly elected President Nawrocki vetoed the Sejm’s decision on the “800+” aid package (i.e., continuation of benefits for refugees) and introduced his own bill. Adopted on September 13, 2025, this bill directly links access to child benefits and healthcare to official employment or entrepreneurial activity in Poland.
In the Czech Republic, assistance for Ukrainian refugees has changed markedly since 2022: beginning in 2023, the government gradually narrowed the group of people eligible for payments. In addition, as of September 1, 2024, the period of stay in humanitarian housing was reduced from five to three months, and to extend temporary protection, refugees were required to confirm their place of residence with a landlord’s notarized signature. As of July 1, 2025, new rules for granting assistance came into effect: the basic payment is €200 for an adult and €143 for a child. After 150 days, unemployed refugees who do not fall into vulnerable categories receive only the “minimum for subsistence” – €129. The state also covers housing costs – €247 for vulnerable groups and €138 for others. Meanwhile, public sentiment in the Czech Republic has grown more tense: according to a STEM survey in June 2025, 58% of Czechs believe the country has taken in too many refugees, and 60% believe Ukrainians receive more from the budget than they contribute, despite official statistics showing the opposite. As a result, Czech policy toward Ukrainians is shifting from broad support to a more selective and targeted approach, reflecting both the financial constraints of the state budget and prevailing public attitudes.
In Hungary, in 2022, Ukrainian refugees who received temporary protection were entitled to financial assistance of 22,800 forints (about €58) per month for an adult and 13,700 forints (€35) per month for a child. However, in the summer of 2024, Viktor Orbán’s government introduced stricter criteria for granting temporary protection. Under these rules, the western regions of Ukraine are deemed “safe” for residence. As a result, people from those regions are no longer provided free accommodation in Hungary’s refugee shelters.
Despite the rise of anti-migration rhetoric and government measures to scale back refugee assistance, Eurobarometer surveys across Europe show that public support for Ukrainian refugees – though somewhat diminished – remains very strong. In the spring 2025 survey, 80% of Europeans agreed that the EU should accept refugees, and 86% expressed a positive view of providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Support for assistance to refugees and to Ukraine: survey of EU citizens
Source: European Union–Eurobarometer
Photo: depositphotos.com/ua
