Politico: Germany, Poland voice concern over rising influx of Ukrainians

Politicians in Germany and Poland — the two EU countries hosting the largest number of Ukrainian refugees — are expressing discontent over the rising influx of young Ukrainian men who began arriving en masse following the relaxation of Ukraine’s exit restrictions.

According to Politico, which cites European politicians, officials in Germany’s ruling circles have stated that the country will continue to accept refugees. However, they warned that public support for Kyiv could decline if the perception grows that young Ukrainians are avoiding military service.

Jürgen Hardt, the foreign policy spokesperson for the Bundestag faction of the Christian Democratic and Christian Social Unions (CDU/CSU), said that Germany has no interest in seeing conscription-age Ukrainian citizens living abroad while their homeland is at war. He also noted that the recent changes in Ukrainian legislation have triggered increased emigration and suggested revisiting the discussion on restrictions.

In Poland, the rhetoric has become tougher. Politicians there have said that it is becoming increasingly difficult for Warsaw to justify providing assistance to those who could be serving in Ukraine while benefiting from privileges funded by Polish taxpayers.

Following the change in rules, the outflow of young Ukrainians from the country has increased significantly. According to Poland’s Border Guard Service, between the beginning of 2025 and the end of August, nearly 45,300 men aged 18 to 22 crossed the border. Over the next two months, the number rose to 98,500 — about 1,600 per day.

A similar trend has been observed in Germany: while in mid-August around 19 young Ukrainians were entering per week, by October the flow had surged to between 1,400 and 1,800 per week, according to German media citing data from the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

By Vugar Khalilov