More than 260,000 Ukrainian men of fighting age are currently living in Germany, as Kyiv and Berlin discuss ways to encourage some of them to return to Ukraine, Euronews writes. The debate has intensified after Germany backed a proposal that could allow Ukrainian men aged 23 to 60 arriving in the European Union to lose their automatic eligibility for temporary protection if requested by the Ukrainian government.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, confirmed that Kyiv and Berlin are discussing possible measures to encourage Ukrainian men living abroad to return home. Asked by Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform about possible plans to deport men whom Kyiv considers to have illegally left the country, he said: “I am not going to reveal these mechanisms yet.”
Germany currently hosts more than 1.3 million Ukrainians, most of whom are protected under the EU’s temporary protection system introduced after Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to figures from Germany’s Interior Ministry, 265,804 Ukrainian men aged 23 to 60 were registered in the country as of May 31. Across the EU, the number is estimated at around 1.15 million.
The issue is closely linked to Ukraine’s wartime mobilization rules. Since martial law was introduced after Russia’s invasion in February 2022, most Ukrainian men of military age have been prohibited from leaving the country without official permission. The restrictions mainly apply to men aged 23 to 60 who are eligible for military service and do not have exemptions, while men aged 18 to 22 have been allowed to travel abroad again since August last year.
