"Germany has seen an influx of young Ukrainian men following Kyiv's decision to let them leave Ukraine, the Interior Ministry in Berlin said on Wednesday. The number of men aged 18 to 22 seeking refuge in Germany has climbed since August 26th after Kyiv loosened the rules to allow them to leave, ministerial data showed. Weekly arrivals since September 8th have averaged over 1,000 and surged to 1,796 in the week starting October 6th, up from 138 in the week of August 25th."
"Between the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and August 2025, men aged 18 to 60 were prohibited from leaving Ukraine, apart from exceptional cases. Thousands have attempted to leave illegally each year, sometimes risking their lives, in an effort to evade possible military mobilisation. But those aged 18-22 are not subject to the draft -- its minimum age was lowered to 25 in April 2024."
"Over one million of them have moved to Germany, although some voices have suggested that Ukrainian men should stay home to help in the fight against Russia. "A great many young men in particular are considering coming to Germany," Markus Söder, premier of the southern German state of Bavaria, said Monday. "They would be better off staying in their own country when it comes to military service there.""
Germany has seen increased arrivals of young Ukrainian men after Kyiv allowed men aged 18–22 to leave starting August 26. Weekly arrivals since September 8 have averaged over 1,000 and peaked at 1,796 in the week starting October 6. Between February 2022 and August 2025 Ukraine largely barred men aged 18–60 from leaving, leading thousands to attempt illegal departures to evade mobilisation. The draft minimum age was lowered to 25 in April 2024, exempting 18–22-year-olds. Measures to encourage voluntary enlistment have had limited success. Over 5.6 million Ukrainians have taken refuge abroad, with over one million moving to Germany, and some German politicians urged young men to remain for military service and criticized refugee benefit policies.
Read at The Local Germany
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