The living situation of refugee men from Ukraine in Germany - results from the IAB-BiB/FReDA-BAMF-SOEP Survey , Date: 2024.12.17, format: brief analysis, area: Authority

Source: © BAMF

The BAMF Brief Analysis 8|2024 deals with the living situation and integration of male Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Germany between 24 February 2022 and 8 June 2022 and rounds off the findings from the IAB-BiB/FReDA-BAMF-SOEP survey published so far.

The brief analysis is based on data from the two waves of the IAB-BiB/FReDA-BAMF-SOEP Survey, which were conducted in late summer 2022 and spring 2023. It examines the reasons why Ukrainian men fled to Germany, how their arrival and their first months in Germany were organised and to what extent they have managed to settle in here so far. One focus of the brief analysis is on linguistic integration through attending language courses. In order to contribute to a differentiated understanding of the men's situation, comparisons are made between men and women and between age groups within the group of men.

Key findings

Smaller group with a family focus

Around a fifth of refugees from Ukraine are men, who are more often over 60 years old compared to female Ukrainian refugees. Family and social networks played an important role in their flight. In Germany, they generally live together with their nuclear family and, compared to women, much more frequently with their partner.

Men are more likely than women to intend to stay in Germany forever

More and more male refugees from Ukraine intend to stay in Germany permanently, which is more often the case than with women. Men over the age of 60 want to stay in Germany for a shorter period of time and mostly want to return to Ukraine.

High level of education and previous work experience offer good conditions for participation in the labour market

Refugee men usually have tertiary educational qualifications and have almost always already gained work experience in Ukraine. They have also often completed vocational training before fleeing. Participation in the labour market is increasingly successful, with over a fifth in employment by spring 2023. However, many are not yet ready to enter the labour market due to language course attendance, for example.

German language skills are progressing and most of the men have already started at least one language course.

By spring 2023, many Ukrainian men had improved their German language skills, even if they are often still at a low to intermediate level. This positive development is not least due to the fact that most of them have already started language courses. However, the German language skills of men are somewhat lower than those of women and a somewhat larger proportion of them have not yet started a German course. Multivariate analyses indicate that for men there is no correlation between course attendance and living with and caring for children. For women, on the other hand, course attendance decreases significantly if there are children in need of care living in the household.

The Brief Analysis was written by: Jan Zerche

This download is available in other languages, too.

• Die Lebenssituation geflüchteter Männer aus der Ukraine in Deutschland – Ergebnisse aus der IAB-BiB/FReDA-BAMF-SOEP-Befragung (German)