The number of Ukrainian military-age men in Germany has seen a significant increase since the beginning of last year. This trend, reported by the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland,” is based on current data released by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf).
The rise is reportedly due to the relaxation of the departure ban instituted at the end of August 2025. Since that time, fit men between the ages of 18 and 22 are permitted to leave Ukraine, a flexibility that was previously only allowed in exceptional circumstances.
According to Bamf’s information to the RND, a total of 1,348,258 people related to the war in Ukraine were residing in Germany as of May 30th. This total included 355,745 men aged 18 to 63. For comparison, this figure stood at 1,253,569 on March 8, 2025, of whom 297,660 were men in the 18-63 age bracket.
This statistical shift shows that among the nearly 100,000 people who have newly arrived from Ukraine over the last 16 months, almost 60 percent are men of military age. This demographic profile contrasts sharply with the early phase of the Russian invasion, which was characterized by an influx dominated by women and their children. At that time, the proportion of single mothers and their children among the newcomers was five times higher than it was within the general population.
In a separate development, Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) demanded during an informal meeting of EU Interior Ministers last week that military-capable Ukrainians should no longer be granted blanket protection under the existing Mass Influx Directive. Should this demand be implemented, these individuals would be required to apply for asylum and would likely face significantly lower prospects of remaining in Germany. It is understood that Dobrindt has secured the support of the majority of the EU’s Interior Ministers. The EU Commission is now required to respond and decide whether to restrict the Mass Influx Directive on this issue by the end of June.
