Kretschmer in favor of limiting Ukraine refugees

Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) is in favor of limiting the intake of refugees from Ukraine. "The number of people coming to us from Ukraine has increased dramatically in recent months," he told the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper. "A large flow is developing. It is simply not possible for us to take in more and more people."

New exit regulations in Ukraine

The main reason for the rising number of refugees is Ukraine's relaxed exit regulations. Unlike in the past, men between 18 and 22 are now allowed to leave the country. "The increased influx from Ukraine must be discussed at the next Prime Ministers' Conference on 4 December," emphasized Kretschmer. The conference must discuss how many more Ukrainians can find refuge in Germany.

Kretschmer addresses EU solidarity mechanism

At the same time, the Prime Minister spoke out in favor of making use of the rules of the EU solidarity mechanism. This allows Germany to apply not to take in any additional refugees from other member states until the end of 2026. "We were very supportive in the past. This has created great tensions in our society. The EU Commission's assessment proves our great achievement. Now other EU countries must follow suit."

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the number of people seeking protection from Ukraine in Saxony has been steadily increasing since the summer. In the 31st calendar week from July 28 to August 3, 35 people arrived in the Free State, in the 35th calendar week (August 25 to 31) there were already 100. 1,253 Ukrainians arrived in the Free State in September - the highest number since August 2022.