CDU leader Friedrich Merz claims that social benefits attract many immigrants in the first place

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CDU leader Friedrich Merz: »Help is a commandment of the Christian image of man.

But we shouldn't set the wrong incentives."

Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa

He's done it again.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz speculates that refugees are taking advantage of Germany's welfare state.

According to Merz, Germany's "very large" social network is "really attracting refugees and migrants from many countries."

Germany takes in a lot of people and has high social benefits compared to other European countries, Merz told the news portal “t-online”.

»With the future social benefit called ›citizen’s allowance‹, it is often no longer worth taking up a simple job, even for immigrants.

And that is exactly what really attracts people from many countries, it creates a so-called pull factor.«

Merz criticizes the federal government

Merz went on to say: »Help is a commandment of the Christian image of man.

But we shouldn't set the wrong incentives." A clear distinction must be made between "regulated immigration into the labor market, humanitarian asylum and illegal immigration," he demanded.

The federal government is blurring the boundaries of migration law.

It is repeatedly claimed that comparatively high social benefits in Germany attract refugees.

From a scientific point of view, however, the thesis is hardly tenable.

A study on the refugee crisis in 2015 came to the conclusion that German migration policy did not have a pull effect.

A pull factor could not be proven for sea rescue in the Mediterranean either.

Merz' current statements are also attracting attention because last week he caused outrage with a statement about the alleged "social tourism" of refugees from the Ukraine.

A short time later, the leader of the Union faction in the Bundestag publicly apologized if his choice of words was felt to be offensive.

Merz had told "Bild TV": "We are now experiencing social tourism from these refugees: to Germany, back to Ukraine, to Germany, back to Ukraine." The background, according to Merz: Initially, Ukraine refugees were entitled to care under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act - since June they have received basic security, i.e. the same benefits as, for example, Hartz IV recipients.

Merz has been widely criticized for this, including by the CDU social wing – especially since the situation is not as Merz claims.

According to their own information, the Federal Government and the Federal Employment Agency have no indications of abuse of benefits by Ukrainian refugees.

muk/dpa