Draft no reason for Asylum: Germany doesn’t permit permanent asylum for Ukrainian men of military age.

Translated:

# If the passport of conscripted Ukrainians tarnishes in Germany, they have to return to their home country if they want new documents. According to a survey among the federal states, this is the common procedure.

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>Ukrainian men of military age who do not have a valid passport usually do not receive replacement travel documents in Germany. In a survey conducted by the Protestant Press Service (epd) among the responsible ministries, the federal states confirmed that it was reasonable for men subject to military service to travel to Ukraine to obtain passports and to comply with compulsory military service.
>
>”The Hessian immigration authorities are consistently applying federal law by not issuing Ukrainian men of military age with German replacement travel documents,” says the Hessian Ministry of the Interior, for example. The passport sovereignty lies with the home states.
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>The majority of the federal states, like Hesse, referred to the applicable federal law. For example, according to the Residence Ordinance, a foreigner who does not have a valid passport can only be issued a replacement document if he or she cannot reasonably obtain domestic travel documents. The fulfilment of compulsory military service is therefore usually reasonable.

### Exceptions in individual cases

>”The mere assumption that the applicant will actually be called up for military service” is not sufficient, according to the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of the Interior, to classify obtaining a passport in the home country as “unreasonable”. The immigration authorities of the federal states decide on exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Possible exceptions in Saxony-Anhalt are, for example, the necessary treatment of an illness or the care of close family members in Germany. In Saarland, according to the Ministry of the Interior, a different decision can be made in the case of Germanly married persons or if there is an assurance of naturalization.
>
>According to the 16 federal states, there are no exceptions for Ukrainians subject to military service. “A distinction between Ukrainian nationals and other nationals is not made in the question of compulsory military service,” said the Berlin Senate Department for the Interior. According to the Ministry of the Interior, there are also no special regulations for conscripted Ukrainians in Brandenburg.

### Ukrainians are allowed to stay in Germany even with expired passports

>Ukrainians cannot travel without a valid passport. However, according to the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of Integration, expired passports have no “adverse consequences” for the issuance of a residence permit and the receipt of benefits. This was also confirmed by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. **According to the EU Mass Influx Directive, Ukrainians enjoy a right of residence in Germany until 4 March 2025**. The scheme provides immediate protection and access to rights in the EU, including the right of residence, access to the labour market, housing, social assistance, medical and other assistance.
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>**For several months, Ukraine has been trying to increase pressure on men of military age living abroad** and to persuade them to return. For example, they have not received any new documents from foreign embassies since April of this year.
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>According to the Ukrainian embassy in Berlin, since June there has been the possibility for conscripted men to use consular services abroad if they register with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense using an app. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, there are currently 268,176 Ukrainian men of military age in Germany (cut-off date: 30.6.2024).

Further readings:

[Anger among Ukrainians in Poland as Kyiv halts passport renewals (rfi.fr)](https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20240424-anger-among-ukrainians-in-poland-as-kyiv-halts-passport-renewals)

[Ukraine pushes to get military-age men to come home. Some neighboring countries say they will help | AP News](https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-conscription-passport-renewal-af5f573a355bea4fbdeb6dc39994e52d)

[Ukraine moves to cut off consular services for military-age men abroad – The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/23/ukraine-consular-services-men-abroad/)

[No Forced Return of Ukrainian Men Abroad (kyivpost.com)](https://www.kyivpost.com/post/31907)

[As mobilization rules kick in, some Ukrainian men pay to flee, dodging draft – The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/17/ukraine-mobilization-draft-dodgers-russia/)

[Ukrainian conscripts who fail to update military data on time may be fined, put on wanted list (kyivindependent.com)](https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-conscripts-who-fail-to-update-military-data-on-time-may-be-fined-put-on-wanted-list/)

[The Current State of Ukrainian Mobilisation and Ways to Boost Recruitment | Royal United Services Institute (rusi.org)](https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/current-state-ukrainian-mobilisation-and-ways-boost-recruitment)

[Ukraine’s Shortage of Manpower is Hitting Its Wartime Industry – Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-01/ukraine-s-shortage-of-manpower-is-hitting-its-wartime-industry)

[Ukraine Sends Older Troops to War With Russia as Army Runs Short of Men – Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-05-26/ukraine-sends-older-troops-to-war-with-russia-as-army-runs-short-of-men)

!ping Ukraine&Germany