How to change Asyl to 24 paragraph for Ukrainians

Question

Good day, We are contacting you to receive a brief consultation on migration law for one Ukrainian family of elderly people. A man (78 years old, disabled in the fourth group according to the German medical report - partially paralyzed, does not walk and hardly speaks) and his wife (74 years old) when they arrived in Germany on March 7, 2022. Upon arrival, they were registered for Asyl. The specialist of the migration department explained that they are old and will not return to Ukraine anyway, so it is easier to get German citizenship. But now the family thinks that it is better to do the 24th paragraph, but their daughter (she has been living in Germany for 20 years) is worried that the 24th paragraph will expire and her parents will be denied further help by the social welfare office. Please tell me whether they can go to paragraph 24 and whether they really have to pay for everything themselves (health insurance, housing, etc.)? Thank you very much for your reply Best regards, Anastasia Ksenofontova

Answer 1

Hi @Anastasiia_ks

I do not understand what the person meant by it being easier to get German citizenship by applying for asylum. Whether a person gets asylum or paragraph 24, the requirements are the same. In either case, the new law on citizenship makes it difficult for them to get German citizenship. This is because it requires people to be financially self-sufficient and not receive any social welfare benefits from the state.

At the moment paragraph 24 will be valid until March 2026. If it is not renewed, then anyone with that type of residence permit will then have to **** for alternative reasons if they wish to stay in Germany.

If a person receives a refugee status after going through the asylum process, then this status is also not permanent. It must be renewed and permanent residency is possible at the earliest after 3 years if a person is able to financially support themselves. A refugee status can also be cancelled if the situation in a person’s home country changes.

If they now request paragraph 24, their asylum application will be put on hold. If paragraph 24 is not extended beyond March 2026, then they can at that point proceed with their asylum application.

If they receive paragraph 24, their living costs, healthcare and rent costs will be covered by the Sozialamt.

Best,

Éanna