German Interior Minister Opposes Automatic Exemption for Ukrainian Men of Draft Age
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has called for Ukrainian men of draft age to be excluded from the EU’s automatic temporary protection mechanism. He stated that evading military service is not grounds for granting asylum.
“Ukrainians have so far received automatic protection under the Mass Influx Directive. Syrians, as refugees from a civil war, have always been subject to individual screening as part of the asylum procedure. In the future, men of draft age from Ukraine should not be covered by this directive. The possibility of applying for asylum, of course, remains, but evading military service is not grounds for asylum,” Dobrindt noted.
Explaining the difference between the status of Syrians and Ukrainians, the minister noted that these are fundamentally different legal mechanisms: Ukrainians are covered by collective temporary protection, whereas applications from Syrian citizens were reviewed on a case-by-case basis as part of the asylum procedure.
According to Dobrindt, if men of draft age are excluded from the temporary protection mechanism and there are no grounds for granting asylum, they will have to leave Germany.
“If the Mass Influx Directive no longer applies to men of draft age and there is no positive decision in the asylum procedure, the logical consequence is that these people will be required to return to Ukraine,” he emphasized.
Dobrindt called this approach politically justified in light of the extensive military support Germany is providing to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression.
“Politically, I also consider this appropriate with regard to a country that we are supporting to a significant extent militarily so that it can organize resistance against Putin’s war of aggression. This cannot be compared to the civil war in Syria,” the minister stressed in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.
As a reminder, the German company Helsing SE has launched mass production of the latest AI-powered strike drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The drones are being assembled in series at a secret factory in one of the industrial regions in southern Germany. The facility operates under heavy security, has no signage, and, in the event of a threat, the entire production line can be dismantled and moved to a new location in just one day.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to expel two military attachés from the Russian Embassy in Rome. According to Italian officials, the diplomats are believed to be involved in espionage activities on behalf of Moscow.
