A middle-aged married woman: who from Belarus seeks protection in Germany
In 2022, the number of foreigners applying for protection status in Germany reached a record 3.08 million, an increase of 1.14 million year-on-year, cites data from the Federal Statistical Office. The reason is Russia’s war against Ukraine and the arrival of 1.01 million Ukrainians in need of protection.
“Persons seeking protection” is a term that means foreigners who are in Germany for a wide range of international law, humanitarian or political reasons.
The number of Belarusians who turned to Germany for protection is small compared to the total number: as of December 31, 2022, there were 3.5 thousand people with Belarusian citizenship in the country with that status. Who are they?
There are babies and 94 year olds
As of December 31, 2022, there were 1,740 men and 1,800 women in Germany with Belarusian passports who applied for protection. They are those who apply for status (500 people), those who have already received it (2,690) and even those who have been denied, but have not yet left the country (40).
An interesting detail is age. If we consider all three million who applied for German protection, their average age is around 30 years old. The group of Belarusians differs in this respect: the average age of men is 41.9 years, of women – 44.3 years.
Most are between 30 and 45 years old, but there are also 15 babies under one year old and elderly. Five men are already 86 years old, five women – 94 years old.
Belarusians who applied for protection mostly belong to the first generation of migrants, that is, they were not born in Germany. Only 40 people live in Germany from birth, most often these are children under 18 years old.
There are also those who have moved with their families. Among thousands of Belarusians, there are 775 married men and 810 married women, 120 widows and widowers, 1150 single people, about 200 divorcees, another 10 people call their relationship “partnership union” and 365 – did not say anything about marital status.
There are statistics on federal lands in Germany, where Belarusians seeking protection live. Most of them are in Bavaria – 980 people, and the smallest – in the Saarland, only 25 people.
Almost half came to Germany in the last four years
People applying for protection in Germany have been in the country for 5 to 6 years on average. That’s if we talk about those same three million.
But Belarusians also have a different situation here: the average length of their stay in Germany is twice as long – about 11 years.
590 people arrived in 2022, ie. after the start of the war in Ukraine. Many can come directly from Ukraine: Belarusians with Ukrainian permanent residence in Germany have the same rights as Ukrainian refugees.
Approximately one third (1395 people) arrived in the last four years. It can be assumed that this is a wave of political emigration after 2020.
EU: A record number of Belarusians applied for and received asylum
In 2022, Belarusians filed 5,051 applications for international protection in the European Union, according to the EU Asylum Agency. This is a new record. For comparison, in 2021 there were 3817 such statements, and in 2020 – only 1193.
Statistics show that a sharp increase in the number of refugees from Belarus began after 2020. Before him, since 2014, 800-900 Belarusians applied for shelter in the EU per year.
In 2022, 4,436 decisions were taken on Belarusian cases: 423 people received refugee status, and 3,501 people received international subsidiary protection (there is a difference in social guarantees and payments, in the right to work). Denied in 512 cases.
In early 2023, according to the Agency, 2018 applications from Belarusians were considered in the European Union.
Source: DW
Anna White is a journalist at 247 News Reel, where she writes on world news and current events. She is known for her insightful analysis and compelling storytelling. Anna’s articles have been widely read and shared, earning her a reputation as a talented and respected journalist. She delivers in-depth and accurate understanding of the world’s most pressing issues.