Hessen Continues to Provide Refuge and Aid to Ukrainian Refugees
Over 99,000 Ukrainians Seek Shelter in Hessen
Since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Hessen has welcomed more than 99,000 men, women, and children seeking safety from the war-torn country (as of February 16, 2025).
Hessen’s Interior Minister, Roman Poseck (CDU), reaffirmed the state’s unwavering support for Ukraine. "Hessen stands firmly by Ukraine," he declared. The assistance provided by Hessen extends beyond accepting refugees.
Minister Poseck announced that he would personally bid farewell to another aid convoy departing from Frankfurt to Ukraine at the end of February. Over 110 shipments valued at 12.6 million euros have been dispatched since the start of the Ukraine aid effort, including food packages, camp beds, and medical supplies.
Hessen has also supplied fire trucks to the war zone. "With this, we have been able to make at least a small contribution to help the suffering Ukrainians in this terrible emergency," Poseck stated. "For the brave Ukrainians, I deeply hope that the war will end soon – because no other country can replace one’s own homeland."
Erstaufnahmeeinrichtung Registers Thousands of Arrivals from Ukraine
The Erstaufnahmeeinrichtung, or initial reception center, of Hessen has registered a total of 46,110 refugees from Ukraine since the beginning of the war until February 18 of this year, according to the Regierungspräsidium Gießen. This number also includes individuals who initially traveled back to their homeland but later returned to Germany.
From December 1, 2024, to the aforementioned date, an average of 13 people from Ukraine arrived at the Erstaufnahmeeinrichtung each day. As the influx of refugees from other countries has recently decreased, Ukrainians currently constitute the largest group of arrivals, the Regierungspräsidium stated.
Integration into German Society
Many Ukrainian refugees who have been in Germany for a longer period have since found employment. According to the most recent available data from July 2024, a total of 20,429 individuals with Ukrainian citizenship were employed in Hessen, the Ministry of Labor reported. This includes 15,993 men and women with employment subject to social insurance contributions. Additionally, 305 Ukrainian citizens were enrolled in vocational training programs covered by social insurance in the same month.
Education for Ukrainian Children and Youth
Since the outbreak of the war, Hessian schools have welcomed well over 30,000 Ukrainian children and young people, the Ministry of Culture announced. Over 10,000 Ukrainian children and teenagers have transitioned from intensive language classes to regular classes due to sufficient German language proficiency. Some have also already completed a school qualification, including 164 Hauptschulabschlüsse (lower secondary school diplomas) and 19 Abitur (university entrance qualification) passes.
As of January 2025, around 300 Ukrainian teachers were teaching various subjects at Hessian schools. They were primarily involved in German as a second language, the pilot project "Ukrainian as a second foreign language," and language and cultural mediation in Ukrainian.
A unique initiative is underway at the Johanneum Gymnasium in Herborn, Central Hesse, according to the ministry. The gymnasium is establishing a partnership with Ukrainian schools, becoming one of only 30 schools in Europe and the only one in Germany to do so.
Frankfurt’s Ukrainian Coordination Center
The Ukrainian Coordination Center (UCC) in Frankfurt addresses the needs of Ukrainians who have fled the war and found refuge in Germany. On Monday, the UCC will organize a vigil on the Römerberg at 6:30 pm, including a minute of silence, said Viktoriia von Rosen, who co-founded the UCC after the Russian invasion. "It’s a sad day for us," von Rosen said. The commemoration will honor not only the victims of the past three years but also those who have suffered since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
"Everyone has part or all of their family in Ukraine. Many have the great hope of being able to return soon, but many also have no home left," von Rosen said. How the situation will develop, she added, is a major question not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe. "The only thing left is to hope," von Rosen said. "Freedom, peace, and justice—that’s what we wish for all of Europe."
