The debate about benefits in kind instead of cash for asylum seekers continues. Justice Minister Buschmann spoke out in favor of payment cards. And Germany’s districts are also demanding cuts for future Ukraine refugees.
Germany’s districts are calling for benefit cuts for future Ukraine refugees. “War refugees from Ukraine who are new to Germany should no longer receive immediate citizenship benefits, but should instead receive benefits in accordance with the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act,” said District Council President Reinhard Sager (CDU) to the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”. The top committee of the 294 German districts agreed on this position a few days ago.
The district council has been warning for months about overburdening due to increasing numbers of refugees and has advocated a switch from cash to benefits in kind for asylum seekers and a requirement for refugees to work.
Bushman for payment cards
Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann spoke out in favor of payment cards in the debate about benefits in kind instead of money for asylum seekers. “If asylum seekers are housed in shared accommodation, benefits in kind are already the legal norm,” said the FDP politician to the dpa news agency. It should be considered whether this principle should not be made the rule in all cases. “The payment card is an unbureaucratic way to do this, where no one has to hand out goods or issue tokens.”
FDP leader Christian Lindner once again called for benefits in kind instead of cash benefits in order to reduce incentives to come to Germany. He also called for more control over migration. “We will remain a cosmopolitan country if we control access to our country,” said the Federal Finance Minister.
Union attacks Baerbock
Meanwhile, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag blamed Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) for the high numbers of arriving migrants. Baerbock has “so far not contributed anything to overcoming the migration crisis, but on the contrary has only prevented, delayed and thwarted it,” said deputy parliamentary group leader Andrea Lindholz (CSU) to the dpa news agency. The minister rejects the further expansion of the list of safe countries of origin. In such countries it is assumed that there is generally neither persecution nor inhumane or degrading treatment – which should enable faster asylum procedures.
The co-chair of the SPD, Lars Klingbeil, spoke out in favor of faster access to the job market for refugees. “Work is a crucial factor for integration. That’s why I’m in favor of bringing people who have fled to us and can stay here onto the job market more quickly,” he told the “Rheinische Post”.
Göring-Eckardt for more order in the Migration policy
The Green politician and Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt called for more order in migration policy. “We can do this by never forgetting that it is people who come to us, not numbers. We can do this through registration, quota refugees, migration agreements and rapid repatriation,” she said. She also advocated that Europe take in a contingent of refugees every year and distribute them across Europe. However, people without a claim to asylum should be deported more quickly than before.
Expert: Asylum seekers come primarily because of the Legal certainty
Meanwhile, migration expert Herbert Brücker warned against setting too high expectations of possible cuts for asylum seekers. “We know from surveys that people come to us primarily because of legal certainty, the prospect of a fair asylum procedure and respect for human rights,” said the researcher at the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB) of the Federal Employment Agency. ” Rhenish Post”.
The social benefits, which are mentioned in the current discussion as the reason for the high influx of migrants to Germany, are, on the other hand, “only cited as one reason among many, depending on the survey, by a good 20 to almost 30 percent of refugees,” he emphasized.