As of: February 22, 2024, 2:32 p.m
By: Simon Schröder
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The payment card for asylum seekers is coming.
An insider now reports that the new map could fall victim to clan crime.
Berlin – The new payment card for refugees is already causing considerable controversy.
The payment card is intended to serve as a cash substitute so that refugees and asylum seekers cannot transfer parts of their state subsidies abroad to send to their families.
This is intended to make it less attractive for economic refugees to come to Germany.
At least in theory.
However, according to initial information from
Bild
, clans are already working on a system to bypass this cashless alternative and benefit from asylum seekers.
NRW Interior Minister worried – clans could pay out card balances directly to refugees
The NRW Interior Minister, Herbert Reul (CDU), expressed alarm to
Bild
: “It doesn't surprise me that clans are constantly looking for new opportunities for their shady business - especially because the pressure to investigate has increased significantly in recent years.
Developments here need to be closely monitored.
Our authorities will do that.”
The new payment card for refugees is causing considerable controversy.
© picture alliance/dpa |
Patrick Pleul / Wolfgang Maria Weber / IMAGO / Merkur collage
Instead of the refugee buying food or the like with a payment card, a system should be developed that allows the clans to pay out the money to the refugees.
So it would only appear as if the money had been used for purchases.
For this transaction, a commission would go to the clan and the owner of the payment cards would have cash again.
Bild
makes a calculation: For a “fictitious” purchase of 400 euros, 40 euros in commission would go to the middleman and the payment card owner would receive 360 euros in cash.
At least that's the plan according to an insider.
Dispute at traffic lights over the introduction of payment cards
The police and state and federal authorities are also monitoring the current situation surrounding payment cards.
No nationwide solution has yet been found for the introduction of payment cards.
There is currently still debate about the exact implementation.
The traffic light coalition does not agree on the wording of the legal text and whether it is even necessary.
The decision about the payment card dates back to November last year.
Here the Prime Minister and Olaf Scholz decided to link the benefits for asylum seekers to the new payment system, as Die
Zeit
reports.
The Greens are currently blocking the passage of the law.
They think there is no need for a law at the federal level.
Countries could introduce the concept themselves.
The SPD and FPD counter that everything needs to be legally secured at the federal level.
According to
Zeit
, the differences and points of discussion are ultimately small and an agreement should soon be reached in the coalition.
(SiSchr)