“I say, a certain number of aids, family allowances, housing allowances, they should be given after a certain number of years of presence. People tell you “horror, what a fascist”. But it exists in Germany, Austria, Denmark! “, justified the mayor of Béziers, Robert Ménard, Thursday, July 21 on the set of CNews. He was asked about possible immigration quotas.
Is there really a deadline for obtaining this aid in the three European countries mentioned by Robert Ménard? 20 minutes make the point.
FAKE OFF
In France, there are no deadlines for receiving family allowances, but there are still some conditions. They are granted to anyone who resides in the country for at least six months in the year, in a legal situation, and has at least one dependent child who also resides in France.
Other social aids are however conditional on a period of presence on the territory. the RSA is only paid to foreigners in a regular situation only after five years spent in France with a residence permit allowing them to work. Same thing for the ASPAthe old minimum old age, which is granted only after holding a residence permit for at least ten years.
This is wrong for family allowances in Germany and Austria
As it concerns family allowances in Germany, the rules are quite similar to those applied in France. Contrary to what Robert Ménard asserts, foreigners do not need to prove that they have been living in the country for years to benefit from it. They only have to certify that Germany is their principal place of residence. The same is true in Austria.
Unlike France, in these two countries, family allowances are granted to parents who come from another Member State of the European Union, even if their child does not reside in the country. Austria wanted to come back to it in June 2022, by adapting the amount paid according to the country of residence of the children. But the Court of Justice of the European Union decreed that the measure “constitutes unjustified indirect discrimination based on the nationality of migrant workers”.
On the other hand, Robert Ménard speaks true for the case of Denmark. To receive the full amount of family allowances, it is necessary to justify at least six years of presence in the country. For example, after 6 months, foreigners can only claim 8.3% of the total amount of the allowance.
No comparison possible for housing assistance
As for housing assistance, the mayor of Béziers does not specify which one he is referring to. If we consider that it is the APL, the most widespread, the comparison is not feasible since there is no equivalent in Germany. There is only housing assistance which very few Germans can benefit from.
In 2019, Austria wanted to grant housing assistance only to foreigners who speak the language perfectly. And this, although they can justify several years of presence and work on the territory. Ultimately, the conclusion was as follows “The link between welfare and language skills was unconstitutional. »