Social benefits in Germany
Payment cards for asylum seekers are to be introduced nationwide
Migrants walk across the grounds of the Central Initial Reception Center for Asylum Seekers (ZABH) in the state of Brandenburg
© Patrick Pleul / DPA
How can you prevent refugees from transferring German social benefits abroad? The federal and state governments have recently discussed this. Now the solution is there.
According to Hesse’s Prime Minister, a payment card for the payment of state benefits for asylum seekers is to be introduced Boris Rhein (CDU) will be introduced nationwide. He announced this as chairman of the Prime Minister’s Conference on Wednesday in Wiesbaden. 14 of the 16 federal states have agreed on common standards for a payment card for asylum seekers by summer 2024. However, Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are going their own way in the procurement process.
In the future, asylum seekers should receive part of the benefits as credit on a card instead of a cash payment. A nationwide map was agreed upon at the meeting of the Prime Ministers with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November. A working group set up by the Prime Minister’s Conference and chaired by Hesse then developed a model for a payment card with uniform national minimum standards.
The Hessian state government announced that it was agreed, among other things, that it should be a credit-based card with a debit function (without account connection) that replaces paying out cash. Each country decides for itself the amount of the cash amount and other additional functions. The technical possibilities of the payment card should be the same in all countries. In principle, the card should be valid nationwide, but states can restrict it regionally and for certain industries. Use abroad, card-to-card transfers and other transfers at home and abroad are not planned, it said.
Payment card is intended to prevent misuse
“By introducing the payment card, we are reducing the administrative burden on municipalities, preventing the possibility of transferring money from state support to the countries of origin and thereby combating inhumane smuggling crime,” said Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) as chairman of the Prime Minister’s Conference. Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) said that good progress had been made with the implementation of the resolutions of the last MPK. “With a payment card, cash payments to asylum seekers are largely unnecessary,” he said. If they then work, they would be able to freely use the money they earned themselves.
The federal-state working group should develop proposals for nationwide uniform minimum standards by January 31st. The use of such payment cards is intended to deprive those seeking protection of the opportunity to transfer money from government support in Germany to relatives and friends in their country of origin.
This post has been updated.