Europe's far-right parties are dissatisfied with the growing number of Ukrainian male refugees
Kyiv • UNN
Far-right and conservative parties in Europe, particularly in Poland and Germany, are expressing concern over the increasing number of young Ukrainian men. This follows the easing of exit rules from Ukraine.
Against the backdrop of a sharp increase in the number of young Ukrainian men in Europe, representatives of conservative and far-right parties in a number of countries promise to fight excessive emigration. Debates on this topic have recently intensified in Poland and Germany, however, the general sentiment in both countries is favorable for Ukrainians, writes UNN with reference to Politico.
Details
After the easing of exit rules in Ukraine, Poland and Germany have seen a sharp increase in the number of Ukrainian men arriving in these countries. In the political circles of these countries, this trend is not supported by some parties, whose representatives have already made statements.
In Germany, members of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's ruling conservative party warn that while the country will continue to accept Ukrainian refugees, public support for the Ukrainian cause could wane.
We are not interested in young Ukrainian men spending time in Germany instead of defending their country. Ukraine makes its own decisions, but a recent change in legislation has led to an emigration trend that we must fight.
In Poland, representatives of the far-right Confederation party stated that their country "cannot continue to be a refuge for thousands of men who should defend their country." Polish figures representing the right wing of the political spectrum also emphasize that Ukrainian refugees "burden Polish taxpayers with costs."
Reference
From the beginning of 2025, until the easing of exit restrictions at the end of August, 45,300 Ukrainian men crossed the Polish border. But in the next two months, this number increased to 98,500, or 1,600 per day.
Many of the newcomers seemed to continue moving west: the number of young Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 entering Germany increased from 19 per week in mid-August to between 1,400 and 1,800 per week in October.
Recall
After Ukraine lifted the exit ban for men aged 18-22, the number of asylum applications in Germany increased from 100 to a thousand per week. This caused concern among regional authorities, especially in Bavaria, where demands for stricter migration control are intensifying.