As of: March 14, 2024, 1:38 p.m
By: Bettina Menzel
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Press
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A photomontage of the payment card for refugees.
© IMAGO/Christian Ohde
The payment card law could pass through the Bundestag next week – provided the Greens do not object.
Berlin's mayor is now demanding a word of power from Chancellor Scholz.
Berlin – There is fundamental agreement in the traffic light coalition about the introduction of a payment card for refugees and asylum seekers.
However, the Greens are demanding clarification of detailed questions - and had linked the cabinet decision to audit orders, which delayed the law.
The incumbent mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, is now apparently running out of patience.
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) should “speak the word” and wave the card through, demands the CDU politician.
Berlin's mayor criticizes the Greens' "party political games".
Kai Wenger now sharply criticized the Greens.
“Now is not the time for party political games, it is about the stability of our country.
The Greens in the federal government must finally understand this and give up their blockade stance,” said the CDU politician to the Berliner
Tagesspiegel
.
The mayor of the capital continued that all federal states are already planning to use the payment card.
“The Chancellor must now speak out so that people don’t lose trust even further.” The
German Press Agency
had asked the Green parliamentary group about possible concerns.
However, there was no concrete answer.
Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner.
© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
According to dpa,
parliamentary group vice-president Andreas Audretsch referred
to a draft law by Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD), in which he had listed the outstanding questions that should be clarified in the parliamentary process.
“We share the minister’s goal of making laws that work on the ground,” explained Audretsch.
“In this matter, it is important to us Greens that people who live permanently in Germany in particular have the opportunity to integrate.” As an example of detailed questions, Audretsch had previously mentioned that it should be possible for children to go to the school kiosk can buy bread rolls or that single mothers can buy cheaply in the second-hand store.
Payment card should reduce “pull factors”: effect “scientifically untenable”
The change to the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act was already decided by the cabinet on March 1st, but still has to go through the Bundestag.
The FDP is also pushing for the issue of payment cards to be addressed soon.
“We have to get the payment card through the Bundestag next week.
It is very annoying that this has not happened yet,” said parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr to the
Rheinische Post
.
“That’s why I expect all coalition partners to stick to our agreements,” said the FDP politician, addressing the Greens in particular.
“We have to quickly reduce pull factors such as cash so that the number of irregular entries into Germany falls,” said Dürr.
The SPD is also pushing for a quick adoption.
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The payment card is not without controversy.
“The assumption of the existence of economic pull factors is scientifically untenable,” says Johanna Böhm from the Bavarian Refugee Council.
“The fact that refugees transfer significant amounts to their families abroad during their procedure is not proven and is rather absurd.” The Bavarian Refugee Council sees the new payment system as more of a gimmick.
Germany also suffers from a shortage of skilled workers.
The chairwoman of the economists, Monika Schnitzer, emphasized that the Federal Republic needs 1.5 million immigrants per year.
Admission to the German labor market involves a lot of bureaucracy.
Obtaining a work permit can often take months or years.
(bme)