Migrants should receive less benefits than German citizens, the country’s Christian Democratic Union opposition party has said, as it calls for a two-tier system through which foreigners who refuse to work will have their allowance cut.
Senior CDU MP Alexander Dobrindt has called for the two-tier system under which the rate of Buergergeld, also known as citizen’s allowance, paid to migrants would be cut compared to that of German passport holders.
‘There must be a new social benefits system for asylum seekers that pays out less than the citizen’s allowance,’ he said.
Dobrindt added that those who are capable of working but choose not to should have their benefits cut.
Another CDU member, Alexander Throm, added that the German government should introduce compulsory community service for asylum seekers.
Senior CDU MP Alexander Dobrindt has called for the two-tier system under which the rate of Buergergeld, also known as citizen’s allowance, paid to migrants would be cut compared to that of German passport holders
Dobrindt also believes that those who are capable of working but choose not to should have their benefits cut
This comes after it was reported last week that the German state of Saxony-Anhalt cut the benefits of asylum seekers who refused to pick up debris following flooding in east Germany for less than a pound an hour.
64 migrants had been written to by local authorities demanding they help clear rubbish and erect dykes for a wage of just 80 cents (68p) per hour after devastating floods in the area at the end of last year which saw hundreds of residents in parts of Germany forced to evacuate.
39 people agreed to help, while the rest, who are said to be from Syria, Afghanistan, Niger, Mali and Albania, failed to turn up.
The district council declared that the 15 asylum seekers who had no excuse to take part in the clean-up will have their asylum benefits cut in half to €232 (£195) a month for three months.
These benefits are meant to cover basic necessities, such as food, accommodation, personal hygiene and clothing.
Ukrainian refugees queue for food in the welcome area after their arrival at the main train station in Berlin, Germany, March 8, 2022
The state of Saxony-Anhalt cut the benefits of asylum seekers who refused to pick up debris following heavy flooding in east Germany. Pictured: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke walk along a dyke made of sandbags as they visit Sangerhausen, where a flood dyke that is threatened to break, in eastern Germany at the beginning of this year
District councilor Andre Schroeder, who is a member of the CDU party, defended the decision saying: ‘Anyone who seeks protection from us from other countries can be obliged to do work that serves the common good’.
According to the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act in Germany, if community service is refused without reason, the right to benefits is limited.
This comes as Germany struggles to manage migration and assist asylum seekers while also appeasing a growing proportion of voters who are being enticed by Right-wing politicians pushing anti-migrant rhetoric – a stark contrast from former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open border migration policy, through which she allowed one million refugees enter Germany in 2015.
Germany currently pays a citizen’s allowance to people who are out of work or who do not earn enough to support themselves.
The number of foreign recipients of the allowance has increased to 47% from 19% over the last ten years.
