A new support center will connect Ukrainians in Germany with information, services and opportunities, while testing a model for further hubs across Europe.

In Berlin on April 14, the ceremonial opening of the first Unity Center for Ukrainians in Europe – Unity Hub Berlin – took place.

Participants at the event included Denys Ulutin, Ukraine’s Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity, and Alexander Dobrindt, the Federal Minister of the Interior of the FRG.

First Steps and the Center’s Role

We are grateful to Germany for its support and for deciding to provide premises for the Center. For us, it is important that this is a space of trust and a connection with the state for Ukrainians abroad. Here you can obtain reliable information about education, work, business, and access to public services. Ukraine is working and remains beside its citizens wherever they may be

– Denys Ulutin

Ulutin emphasized that it is precisely in Germany that the largest number of Ukrainians under temporary protection reside – about 1.2 million people, therefore the opening of Unity Hub Berlin is a timely and necessary step.

According to him, the center will serve as a model for the further development of the Unity Center network, taking into account the needs of Ukrainians abroad. If there is demand, they are considering opening additional centers in Germany in partnership with interested parties.

After the launch of Unity Hub Berlin, Ukraine plans, together with the governments of partner countries, to open similar centers in the Czech Republic and Sweden.

The German Federal Minister of the Interior called the opening a landmark event, because it creates structures and at the same time opens up prospects.

We are combining here both elements: creating a structure for people from Ukraine who are in Germany and providing an access point where they can find answers to all questions about their future in Ukraine, as well as shaping prospects. After all, the advisory services provided here relate not only to return mechanisms but are clearly focused on how people can, using their skills – either those they brought with them to Germany or the competencies they have acquired here – find or create a prospect for themselves in Ukraine.

– Dobrindt

According to Dobrindt, the center should become a platform for interaction and support not only for consular and informational directions but also for the development of culture and economic activity of Ukrainians in Germany and Europe. He expressed hope that Unity Hub Berlin would become a key node in the network of centers across Europe and provide access to the homeland for Ukrainians.

A wide range of services is planned to be offered – from pension and social benefits consultations to support in education and employment, as well as partnerships with Ukrainian and international organizations to expand opportunities for Ukrainians in Germany and abroad.

The address of the Unity Center in Berlin is Jägerstraße 54. The center will be open from April 15, in a test run, Monday through Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00.

As part of the initiative, diverse international and Ukrainian partners will be involved in areas such as pensions, rights protection, and educational programs that will assist Ukrainians in Germany and abroad. The prospects of Unity Hub are linked to the development of joint projects and events in the future.

E efforts to build the Unity Hub network will continue, as such centers are intended to become important nodes of support for Ukrainians in Europe and to strengthen the connection with the homeland.