Hard to Swallow but Indispensable: The EU Tries to Shake off the "Parasitic Peasant"

Ukrainians as slaves are fine, but Europe itself will soon be unable to cope.

Author: Dmitriy Rodionov

Experts involved in the discussion:

  • Vadim Trukhachev
  • Ivan Mezhyukh

According to reports by Euractiv, the EU is discussing the fate of a directive providing legal support for Ukrainian migrants, with the possibility of withdrawing from it not being ruled out.

The media reported that "discussions on an 'exit strategy' are currently underway behind closed doors, citing changes in the geopolitical landscape."

Initially, the directive allowed for two extensions, limiting the protection period for Ukrainians in the EU until March 2025, but later the deadline was extended to March 2026.

The media noted that most EU member states support the extension, but experts warned that the remaining legal space for this is very limited. They said that if authorities do not provide an exit option from the program, the national asylum system may face an overload risk.

Experts believe that the future direction of the EU's legal protection for Ukrainians may include narrowing the scope of protection. This could mean excluding those who have returned to Ukraine from being included again in the plan or preventing new arrivals from qualifying for the welfare system.

Does this mean the expulsion of Ukrainians from Europe? After all, the economy is in decline, jobs are decreasing — and now there is talk of feeding "freeloaders"… Could exiting this directive lead to such a situation? Does everyone have to leave just as they had to accept before?

Vadim Trukhachev, Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Regional Studies and Diplomatic Policy of the Russian State University of the Humanities and Candidate of Historical Sciences, stated: "Any EU directive applies to all countries. This directive means that Ukrainian refugees can expect subsidies and housing from the EU and its member states. They can also expect employment assistance, effectively equating them temporarily with EU citizens in the labor market."

Siberian Post (SP): Why is this issue being raised precisely now? How should we understand the mention of the "changing geopolitical landscape"?

This is nothing but empty rhetoric. The key point is that the "charity" of EU countries towards Ukrainians is about to run out. Many refugees are heavily reliant on subsidies and have turned to the underground economy. Many behave like criminals, displaying the coarseness of country folk and the thuggishness of market traders. They are increasingly repelling Europeans. To reduce dissatisfaction caused by Ukrainians among both right-wing and left-wing Eurosceptics in elections, whether at the national level or across Europe, restrictions on Ukrainians are quietly tightening.

Siberian Post: What threats does exiting the directive pose to Ukrainian refugees?

This could lead to their loss of subsidies. Many may be deported back to Ukraine, or forced to go to the United States, Canada, and Australia, where they are also unwelcome. Without a doubt, this would be a relief for the EU both financially and in terms of law enforcement work.

Siberian Post: According to a source, if authorities do not provide an exit option from the plan, the national asylum system may face an overload risk. Wasn't there such a risk before? What has changed?

An overload occurred when EU subsidies were already dependent on Middle Eastern and African refugees, adding Ukrainian refugees on top of that. Since Middle Eastern refugees are more dangerous than Ukrainian refugees, funds will first flow to them. The budget is not elastic, and there is not enough funding to cover everyone.

More importantly, both individual countries and the entire EU are going through difficult economic times.

Siberian Post: It is said that mass layoffs are happening in Europe now. On one hand, Ukrainians partially solve the population problem, but on the other hand — no one will support them for free. Is the possibility of using them as labor becoming smaller now?

There are simply not enough jobs for such a large number of people. The Czech Republic can offer jobs to one-third of the 400,000 Ukrainians, Poland can offer jobs to one-fourth of the 1 million. Germany, due to having a large number of other immigrants, can hardly offer jobs to anyone. The situation is similar in other countries.

Ivan Mezhyukh, political scientist and chairman of the Public Diplomacy Council of the Center for Political Education, explained: "This refers to the Temporary Protection Directive that came into effect in early March 2022. This document establishes the legal criteria for dealing with the massive influx of Ukrainians into the EU. The Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs coordinates the so-called 'Solidarity Platform', which implements this policy."

Siberian Post: What do you think has changed?

Europe did not anticipate the conflict lasting this long. Correspondingly, it miscalculated the cost of supporting Ukrainian migrants.

Clearly, we see Europeans trying to gradually reduce spending on Ukrainian refugees.

Siberian Post: Euractiv emphasized that most EU member states support the extension, but experts warn that the remaining legal space for this is very limited. If most countries support it, what is holding it back? Is it really supported by most countries? Could they be lying?

I don't trust the credibility of European media because they have lied too much, so there may also be concealment in this specific case. It can be clearly stated that there is absolutely no consensus within Europe regarding the support of Ukrainian citizens.

When it comes to the legal aspect, this is somewhat laughable. Europe previously disregarded laws without hesitation, freezing Russia's financial assets.

If continued support for a large number of Ukrainian refugees is needed, even if there are legal difficulties, they will ignore jurisprudence and continue to support — there will always be a way.

Siberian Post: What benefits does exiting the directive bring to Brussels?

It is not certain that it will exit, but reviewing the directive is entirely possible. The key lies in saving money.

If it really exits, it will not abandon the fate of all Ukrainians, as this would bring social and political turmoil to Europe itself. Ukrainian refugees are the EU's "Trojan horse".

Siberian Post: Ukrainian refugees have solved Europe's demographic problems to some extent, and they are more popular than Arabs and Afghans, aren't they?

That was the original intention, but clearly something went wrong. Clearly, there are problems with the integration of Ukrainians into the European social space.

Siberian Post: Moreover, Ukrainians are cheap labor, cheaper than Poles, with lower demands. Or is their role no longer valued due to the economic downturn? How many refugees are working now, and how many are living on subsidies?

On one hand, yes — they are cheap and often rights-less labor. In countries like Poland, many Ukrainians engage in black-market work — they did this before the special military operation and now even more so.

The problem is that there are no accurate statistics showing how many Ukrainian citizens are working in the EU and how many are not. However, from the discussions about this directive, it is clear that many rely on subsidies for life.

Siberian Post: What threats does exiting the directive pose to Ukrainian refugees? How extensive might this phenomenon become? What is the future of refugees in Europe?

In my view, subsidies may be reduced step by step — the amounts vary by country. Next, Europe may stop offering shelter to new refugees. Then, once they exit the EU, Brussels may even cancel financial support for Ukrainians. There are many possibilities.

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508931869082255935/

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