Which Ukrainians are being returned to Poland by Germany and how many of them?

Germany continues to readmit migrants to Poland, including Ukrainian citizens. Find out how many people have been returned to Poland and for what reasons

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Germany, as a country that has received large flows of migrants, in particular due to russian aggression against Ukraine, has been actively implementing a readmission policy over the past few years, returning a certain number of foreigners to other European countries. One of these countries is Poland, which, in accordance with the Dublin III agreement, takes back migrants who have been displaced to Germany but do not meet the requirements for staying in the country. However, the latest news circulating online about the number of people returned is not true.

According to inpoland.net.pl, a border guard said that the 10 thousand migrants returned to Poland reported by some media outlets is a significantly exaggerated figure. However, the general trends do show an increase in the number of people transferred by Germany to Poland.

How many citizens has Germany returned to Poland?

According to the Polish press, in particular Rzeczpospolita, the number of foreigners returned to Poland by Germany is gradually increasing. Thus, in 2020, this figure was 335 people, in 2021 - 342 people, in 2022 - already 630, and in 2023 - 968 people. These figures continue to grow, which indicates an increase in migration flows in Europe as a whole, as well as the intensification of readmission procedures. However, according to the border guards, in 2024, 690 people (including russians, Afghans, Indians, and Ukrainians) were returned from Germany to Poland, which is less than in the previous year.

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What are the reasons for the return of Ukrainians?

As Maciej Duszczyk, Deputy Minister of the Interior of Poland, explained, Ukrainians are usually returned to Poland if they:

● Have Polish residence cards, but have encountered problems related to their status;

● Overstayed their passports or have no other documents for legal stay.

Thus, these are cases where Ukrainians who find themselves in Germany have violated the rules of stay, which is why the country is forced to transfer them under readmission procedures to Poland, where they probably originally obtained a residence permit.

This happens because the readmission procedure works according to the principle enshrined in the EU agreements and national laws. Under the terms of Dublin III, the country to which a migrant first arrived is responsible for processing his or her asylum or residence application. If such a person ends up in another EU country, he or she can be returned back to the country where the initial application was submitted.

If you are in Germany or other EU countries and want to find out your options for extending your stay, applying for refugee or asylum status, please contact Visit Ukraine's migration lawyers.

Our specialists will provide professional advice and assistance in migration matters, which will help you to quickly and safely resolve the issue of legalizing your status in the EU. You will receive a clear strategy for solving problems with your stay, as well as assistance in processing documents.

We remind you! Starting in April 2025, Germany plans to update the rules of payments for refugees from Ukraine. Instead of civil assistance, they will receive smaller amounts, just like other asylum seekers. Read who will be affected by the new rules and what amounts are provided in our previous article.

Photo: Robert Stachnik [Radio Szczecin/Archiwum]

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