German labor minister: Cash assistance for refugees should be increased
German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil has proposed a plan to increase cash benefits for refugees. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has opposed the plan. If approved by the German parliament, the plan would come into effect next year.
German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, a member of the country's Social Democratic Party, has presented a plan calling for increased financial assistance for refugees in the country.
According to a report in the Sunday newspaper "Bild" (March 10), the German Labor Minister has proposed that the pocket money for refugees living in Germany alone or without family members be increased from 135 euros to 150 euros per month.
Hubertus Heil's plan also states that cash assistance for young asylum seekers aged 14 to 17 should increase from 76 euros to 79 euros, and that children and adolescents aged 6 to 13 should receive 97 euros instead of 83 euros. Children under 6 should also receive 84 euros instead of 79 euros.
Since 2016, the amount of cash assistance for refugees has not been adjusted to the general increase in costs in Germany. A new plan from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in Berlin states that cash assistance for refugees, like other financial assistance for the poor and dependent on state benefits in Germany, should be adjusted annually to the increase in costs in the country.
The basis for the annual adjustment of expenditure and income is based on samples of consumer income and expenditure that the Federal Statistical Office of Germany produces annually. The last time the government increased the cash benefits was three years ago. After that, the plan presented during the previous election period was rejected in the Bundestag, the German parliament.
United Christian Parties Oppose Increase in Cash Aid
According to the Bild am Sonntag newspaper, Thorsten Frei, deputy leader of the Christian Democratic and Social Democratic United Party in Germany's parliament, criticized the German Labor Minister's plan to increase cash assistance to refugees.
"Increasing cash assistance to refugees sends the wrong message and signal to the countries of origin of these refugees," Fry said.
The German politician also said: "Germany currently pays more social benefits to asylum seekers than any other European country. This will increase the incentive to apply for asylum in Germany and we must use the opportunities available to reduce it."
Fry called for a significant reduction in cash benefits for asylum seekers who initially applied for asylum in another European country. "In future, no other assistance should be given than a return ticket for Dublin cases," he said.
The system for registering asylum seekers upon arrival in the EU in the first country is known as the Dublin Regulation. According to this regulation, the country responsible for processing an asylum application is the country where the applicant first entered the EU and registered. If an asylum seeker is fingerprinted for the first time in one EU country and then moves on to another country, the second country can return the asylum seeker to the first country under the Dublin Regulation.
The draft plan to increase cash assistance for refugees must also be agreed upon by other ministries in Germany. If approved by parliament, the plan would come into effect in 2020.
Source: DW
