Rhineland-Pfalz Integration Minister Katharina Binz strongly criticized the federal government’s plans to provide cash benefits to Ukrainians. The draft law stipulates that Ukrainians who have arrived in Germany since April will not be allowed Citizens’ money should receive more, but receive benefits like asylum seekers.
“This decision completely harms the state and the city,” criticized Green Party politicians in Mainz. “This is an effort by the federal government to eliminate costs.” It remains unclear how these burdens should be addressed. This bill must be stopped so that it does not further burden city governments.
Schweitzer: Money for the city should be compensated
Prime Minister Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) reminded us that changes to the red and black federal government coalition agreement will be implemented. He didn’t have a fundamental problem with it, Schweitzer said. However, in the end this will not be more expensive for the municipality; 100 percent of the money must be compensated. In addition, the labor market should not experience a downturn.
Binz estimates the costs will be more than 100 million euros per year
The draft law aims to ensure that Ukrainian refugees who have arrived since April will in future receive lower benefits – the same as asylum seekers – and no longer receive citizen’s benefits. Binz emphasized that this draft would at least double the number of new cases in the Asylum Seeker Benefits Act in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Depending on the access situation, the Ministry of Integration estimates the additional costs to the city will reach more than 100 million euros per year. “This particularly impacts the districts of Cochem-Zell, Altenkirchen and Kaiserslautern because these districts received more Ukrainians than they should have received based on the distribution key,” Binz said.
Additionally, efforts to place people from Ukraine on the job market have been “very successful.” About 56,800 people from Ukraine currently live in Rhineland-Pfalz.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251120-930-317224/2
