As of: March 1, 2024, 9:50 a.m
By: Peter Sieben
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The Thuringian CDU district administrator Christian Herrgott wants to force asylum seekers to work.
This helps with integration.
Critics doubt this and demand something completely different.
Berlin – An idea from Thuringia is causing debates across the country: CDU district administrator Christian Herrgott wants to force asylum seekers to work.
In the Saale-Orla district, refugees should then work four hours a day for 80 cents per hour.
This should involve simple work, especially in their shared accommodation.
Anyone who refuses will face cuts in money.
Obliging refugees to work: “Anyone who experiences solidarity in Germany has to give something back”
“It's obviously about giving the refugees a daily structure and preparing those who can work for the first job market,” says Herrgott.
He gets support from the state CDU.
Its boss, Mario Voigt, tells
IPPEN.MEDIA
: “We have to send out the message: Anyone who experiences the solidarity of the community in Germany must also give something back.” At the same time, Christian Herrgott’s politics in the Saale-Orla district are “a Sign of the necessary limitation of immigration”.
The move is also a supra-regional signal in the election campaign: state elections in Thuringia are in a few months and the Union wants to position itself clearly, above all, against the AfD, which is currently the strongest force there in surveys.
For example, the Thuringian CDU state parliament member Beate Meißner wrote via X: “Speaking of which, what is Germany's first AfD district administrator actually doing in Sonneberg?
Nothing but hot air: neither payment card nor work obligation for refugees!
Some rush, others do.”
Compulsory work for asylum seekers
Requiring refugees to do community service complies with applicable law.
This is regulated in the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (Section 5 Paragraph 1 Sentence 1).
The second sentence has been new to the law since February 27, 2024.
It says: Refugees should be given job opportunities with state, municipal and non-profit organizations if the results of their work serve the general public.
All of this resonates when CDU state leader Christian Voigt says: “The CDU is moving forward and creating practical solutions.
If the traffic lights in the federal government and the Ramelow government in the state do not act, we will have to go our own way where we can.” The same consistency that the CDU is showing in the municipalities is also needed at the federal and state levels.
“Christian Herrgott demonstrates the ability to act as district administrator,” said Voigt.
“It is absurd to demand that work be compulsory when many refugees are still banned from working”
Filiz Polat, migration expert for the Green Party parliamentary group, sees it completely differently.
“It is absurd to demand that work be compulsory when many refugees are still banned from working,” she told our editorial team.
People with toleration status are not allowed to enter into employment in Germany.
The ban only ends when they are recognized as needing protection.
This can take many months.
Asylum seekers from so-called safe countries of origin are generally not allowed to work in Germany.
“Forcing people who are not allowed to work to do cheap work is populism.
Instead of relying on more and more coercion, these work bans must urgently be abolished and paths through the labor market expanded into a permanent right to remain,” said Polat.
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This helps everyone: “Those affected can look after themselves and develop a self-determined perspective, companies gain employees and receive planning security and the municipalities are relieved,” said the Green politician.
It is “completely absurd” that Germany continues to condemn people who could make a living to do nothing.
Compulsory work for refugees: “Municipalities practically do not use it for good reason”
Polat does not believe that compulsory work helps with the integration of refugees: “What promotes the integration of refugees is self-determined and properly paid work.” However, compulsory work at low wages is not effective.
“Municipalities already have the opportunity to offer such work opportunities and, for good reason, they practically do not use them,” said Polat.