As of: March 2, 2024, 10:52 a.m
By: Marcus Giebel
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Split
The traffic light government agrees: the payment card should come and become a state matter.
But resistance from the ranks of the Greens remains.
Berlin – The green light is here.
After Robert Habeck caused a long dispute over the payment card for asylum seekers.
But many open questions remain surrounding the planned payment card for asylum seekers.
In addition, there is continued criticism of the project from the ranks of the Greens after they reached an agreement with their partners from the traffic light coalition after once again tough negotiations.
Payment card for asylum seekers: Greens also give their approval in the federal cabinet
A formulation aid presented by the Ministry of Labor was approved by the Federal Cabinet, so that a bill for the payment card for asylum seekers was passed.
The Union, as the largest opposition party, was already seen as an advocate of the payment card, which is now being passed on to the states.
Ultimately, they should decide for themselves how exactly it will be implemented.
That may also have been one of the reasons why the Greens voted.
Because they had expressed reservations about a federal regulation.
Now a spokeswoman for Economics Minister Robert Habeck said: “We think the project is fundamentally correct.”
Not convinced by the payment card: Green politician Karoline Otte sees the project as a disservice to cities and communities.
© IMAGO / Sven Simon, IMAGO / Future Image
Greens criticize payment card for refugees: “It prevents integration”
But not everyone in the governing party sees it that way.
At
t-online,
Green Party member of the Bundestag Karoline Otte criticizes: “The planned payment card prevents integration.” Therefore, it plays into the hands of right-wing extremists.
For the municipal expert, the payment card for refugees is “the greatest disservice that can be done to our country and especially to the cities and communities.”
Concern “about the discriminatory effect of the payment card” was expressed on the portal by Jürgen Pahlke, who also sits in the Bundestag for the Greens.
This would possibly prevent rapid integration.
The migration expert outlines dire consequences, because if it becomes more difficult for people to “manage their money through regular channels, a shadow economy may end up benefiting.”
According to Pahlke, science also sees “more dangers than advantages in payment cards”.
The deputy parliamentary group leader Andreas Audretsch also warned: “Payment cards must not prevent people from integrating and becoming part of our society, especially if they live here permanently.” He referred to “the explicit mandate for further examinations and discussions” by the Ministry of Labor: “We will carry out these checks.”
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Payment card for refugees is coming: German Association of Cities calls for “as equal conditions as possible”
So the last word doesn't seem to have been spoken yet.
Helmut Dedy is also concerned about how to proceed with the payment card for refugees.
The general manager of the German Association of Cities emphasizes in the
editorial network Germany
that “almost all further detailed questions are still open”.
A patchwork quilt must be prevented at all costs.
That is why the lawyer, who is a member of the SPD, demands that the states “ensure that the payment card is introduced compulsorily in all of their municipalities.
And under the same conditions as possible.”
It needs to be clarified up to what amount can be withdrawn in cash.
Likewise, whether the payment card is only valid for certain goods or also in retail.
“To do this, the states must agree on standards that apply nationwide,” emphasizes the 65-year-old.
Payment cards for asylum seekers become a matter for the states: Thuringia as a pioneer - two are left out
At the end of January, 14 of the 16 federal states decided to implement a joint procurement process.
However, Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are going their own way.
Prime Minister Markus Söder had previously announced that “our payment card is harder” in the Free State.
The Free State wants to start a pilot test in March in the districts of Fürstenfeldbruck, Günzburg and Traunstein as well as in the independent city of Straubing.
The Ministry of the Interior in Schwerin launched a Europe-wide tender in mid-February.
Differences are already evident in Thuringia.
The era of payment cards for asylum seekers began in several districts on Friday.
The districts of Greiz and Eichsfeld had been testing them since December - the decision-makers there considered this test phase a success.
The payment card is coming: German politicians no longer want to hand out so much cash to asylum seekers.
© IMAGO / Christian Ohde
Payment card for asylum seekers with a loophole: cash benefits are still possible
The payment card is intended to prevent asylum seekers from transferring excessive amounts of money to families and friends abroad.
Or possibly pay the smugglers into whose hands they had to put themselves in order to be able to get to Europe and ultimately Germany.
According to the government's plan, cash benefits should continue to be possible in the future.
The legislative proposal available to the
Reuters
news agency states: “If benefits in kind for necessary personal needs are not possible with reasonable administrative effort, benefits can also be provided in the form of payment cards, vouchers, other comparable non-cash settlements or cash benefits.”
Germany gets payment card for asylum seekers: “More order in migration policy”
The
Rheinische Post
also quotes the crucial sentence that provides information about the target group: “A separate payment card must be provided for every adult member of the household who is entitled to benefits.” In the newspaper, FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr rejoices: “We will bring more order to German migration policy .”
Now it must be a matter of “deciding on the new legal situation in the next week of the Bundestag session”.
This starts on March 11th.
All further questions about the payment card for asylum seekers can then be addressed.
(mg)