“The wishes of the states implemented”
Ampel agrees on a law on payment cards for refugees
April 5, 2024, 4:35 p.m
The traffic light coalition has been fighting for a nationwide introduction of payment cards for refugees for a long time. The Greens in particular express concerns. Now there is an agreement.
The traffic light coalition has agreed on a common legal basis for a payment card for refugees. This will “implement the wishes of the states,” said the government factions of the SPD, Greens and FDP in a joint statement. The law should be introduced in the Bundestag next week, said a spokeswoman for the FDP parliamentary group. The Greens had previously had concerns about detailed questions about the project.
“We stand by our word,” said deputy SPD parliamentary group leader Dagmar Schmidt. “Payment cards were already possible before, but we have now created a common, legally secure framework. This ensures that all necessary needs can be freely covered on site – with a card or as a cash payment.”
Greens: Participation anchored in law
The deputy Green Party leader, Andreas Audretsch, emphasized: “Pocket money for school trips, the bus ticket to get to the training place, the electricity or internet connection – all of this must be guaranteed when payment cards are introduced on site.” The subsistence minimum and the participation of people are clearly anchored in law.
FDP parliamentary group deputy Lukas Köhler explained that the agreements decided by the Prime Minister’s Conference and the Federal Cabinet would be implemented “without any changes to the content”. The federal cabinet had already approved the draft law at the beginning of March. The Greens then reported a need for clarification on details.
It is planned that the payment card will be explicitly included as an option in the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act – in addition to the existing options for cash or benefits in kind. The federal states can then decide whether to introduce the card and how to specifically structure its use. Transfers abroad should not be possible, emphasized SPD parliamentary group vice-president Schmidt.