The German Savings Banks Association ( DSVG ): More than 100,000 accounts already opened for Ukrainian war refugees

Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine has caused the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since the Second World War with millions fleeing their country. At the same time, it has triggered various actions and reactions from the European Commission and EU regulators that heavily affect banks.
ESBG members have raised to the challenges that the crisis in Ukraine has created. On one hand, they are sharing knowledge and best practices in a coordinated way to tackle the challenges as they raise. On the other, European savings and retail banks have reaffirmed their commitment to social responsibility with direct actions and initiatives to support people in need.

DSVG (Germany): As of 27 April 2022, the German Savings Banks Association had provided Ukrainian refugees with more than 136.000 bank accounts. Refugees can easily apply online for a GiroExpress account with their ID thanks to a simplified procedure. Moreover, DSGV is providing all relevant information on bank accounts in Ukrainian and is working on extending the service to online banking, its platform for job seekers, etc. DSVG is also supporting the initiative #UnterkunftUkraine (Accommodation Ukraine) which connects volunteers with refugees looking for temporary accommodation. By the end of April, the initiative offered temporary accommodation to 24,000 people in 150 German cities, offering almost 370,000 beds, which makes #UnterkunftUkraine currently the platform with the most bed offers.