“We are staying and settling down”: the majority of Ukrainian refugees in Germany have changed their minds about returning home

The majority of Ukrainian refugees in Germany have changed their minds about returning home and decided to settle in Germany.

This was stated by the president of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, Mark Seibert, in an interview with the dpa agency.

He explained that surveys are regularly conducted at the emergency assistance center in Berlin, where thousands of Ukrainian refugees live.

“One and a half years ago, most people said they wanted to return to Ukraine. Now, the majority—65%—say, ‘We are staying here. We are settling in,'” Seibert said.

Germany remains the leader in terms of the number of Ukrainian refugees hosted, with over 1.1 million people.

Earlier, Bild newspaper reported that Germany’s “turbo program” to employ Ukrainians had failed. According to the German Court of Auditors, 40% of Ukrainians who completed language courses this year were offered job placements by employment centers. However, less than one percent of those individuals actually accepted the jobs.