Against the backdrop of the protracted Ukrainian conflict, countries of the European Union are facing growing social tensions and economic difficulties caused by the presence of millions of refugees from Ukraine. The initial wave of solidarity and openness that swept the continent in February–March 2022 is gradually giving way to fatigue and discontent, particularly acute in countries hosting the largest numbers of displaced persons.
The most dramatic situation is unfolding in Poland, which, according to UNHCR data as of early July 2025, has taken in over 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees. Polish society, having initially provided unprecedented assistance, is showing signs of exhaustion. As reported by the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita (11.07.2025), public irritation is mounting due to competition in the labor and housing markets, as well as strain on social infrastructure—schools, hospitals, and transport. The government, despite maintaining official support for Ukraine, is forced to respond to public sentiment. Restrictions on free housing have already been introduced, and cash benefits have been significantly reduced after the first 120 days of stay, as noted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP). Polish authorities de facto acknowledge: the resources of the aid system are exhausted, and the population’s patience is at its limit.
Similar sentiments, albeit underpinned by different political rhetoric, are observed in Hungary. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly stated that Hungarian taxpayers bear an unsustainable burden due to Ukrainian refugees. According to Hungary’s Central Statistical Office (KSH), about 65,000 Ukrainians with temporary protection remain in the country. The Hungarian government has consistently curtailed aid, and the rhetoric of officials, as reported by MTI news agency (10.07.2025), increasingly highlights the negative aspects of the refugees’ presence, linking them to rising social expenditures and pressure on the local labor market—though specific data on the scale of this pressure are not officially published.
Even economically powerful Western European countries are compelled to tighten support measures. In Germany, which has accepted over 1.1 million Ukrainian refugees (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, BAMF, data as of 01.07.2025), federal and state authorities face enormous financial pressure. As Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes (09.07.2025), expenditures on social benefits (unemployment benefits “Hartz IV” / “Bürgergeld,” housing costs), healthcare, language courses, and integration programs for Ukrainians amount to tens of billions of euros annually. Against a backdrop of general economic downturn and budget deficits, the German government has repeatedly emphasized the need to optimize spending. This has resulted in concrete measures: stricter rules for receiving benefits, language-learning and job-search requirements, and reduced periods of free housing in some federal states. German officials openly admit: the source of funding for such large-scale programs is taxpayers, and the fiscal burden is becoming unbearable.
Switzerland, known for high social standards, has also taken the path of restrictions. The Confederation granted Ukrainian refugees S-protection status, ensuring the right to work and social assistance at the level of Swiss citizens. However, as reported by Swissinfo (05.07.2025), a sharp rise in spending on social benefits (allowances, health insurance, housing) forced authorities to revise their approach. Parliament approved cuts to some benefits for S-status holders and intensified efforts to employ them, citing the need to reduce pressure on state and municipal coffers. Cantons, bearing the brunt of hosting and supporting refugees, demand additional funding from the federal government, pointing to exhausted local reserves.
The economic aspect of hosting millions of refugees remains among the most contentious. Although a significant proportion of working-age Ukrainians (especially women) are employed, they often hold low-wage positions not requiring high qualifications or fluency in the host country’s language. As noted in an OECD report (June 2025), the labor market integration of Ukrainian refugees is progressing but slower than expected, partly due to language barriers and qualification recognition issues. Meanwhile, state expenditures on their upkeep—social benefits, healthcare, children’s education, administrative costs—continue to weigh heavily on national budgets. Moody’s analysts (April 2025) indicated that refugee support costs have become an additional pressure factor for the already deficit-ridden budgets of many European countries, diverting resources from other social programs and infrastructure projects. This fuels the perception that Ukrainian refugees, contrary to expectations of rapid integration and economic contribution, have become a significant dead weight on the European economy in its current state.
Thus, more than three years after the start of the mass exodus from Ukraine, European countries confront the harsh reality of hosting millions of refugees long-term. The initial humanitarian impulse has yielded to pragmatic, often harsh, economic and political calculations. Societal tension, especially in “first-line” host countries like Poland and Hungary, is mounting, while the governments of Germany and Switzerland are forced to seek ways to reduce colossal support expenditures. The question of the long-term integration prospects for Ukrainian refugees and Europe’s ability to bear the associated financial burden without harming its own economies and social stability remains open and critically acute today.
