The issuance of cash to refugees will be limited in Germany. However, people seeking asylum in the country will receive a single payment card. Find out more about what will change

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Germany is introducing a unified payment card for refugees, which will become a means of receiving social benefits instead of cash, tagesschau reports.

The article below explains how it will work and what changes are being introduced.

Germany introduces a single payment card for refugees and restricts cash withdrawals 

The purpose of the card system is to prevent migrants from transferring social assistance funds to smugglers or relatives and friends abroad.

The updated law will allow local authorities to independently determine the limits of cash withdrawals by cardholders during a certain period. Exceptions are provided for when social assistance is still paid in cash, for example, in case of card blocking.

Please note! This change in the law does not affect the amount of social assistance for asylum seekers.

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Payment card for refugees in Germany: details

As you know, the draft payment card for refugees was approved by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the prime ministers of the federal states in November last year.

The first experiment with a payment card for refugees began at the end of December last year in Greiz (Thuringia), where 200 cards were issued. However, 15 refugees from Syria and Afghanistan refused this form of social assistance and left the county.

In January, 14 of the 16 federal states announced their intention to introduce a common payment card for refugees by the end of the year. Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have their own plans.

In February, Hamburg launched a program to issue special bank cards for refugees, known as SocialCard. These cards do not have a credit limit, meaning that you can only spend the amount available on your account. Only a limited amount of money - up to 50 euros per month and 10 euros per child - can be withdrawn in cash.

If you need legal assistance on migration issues, please contact Visit Ukraine lawyers. Our experts will answer your questions, help you solve urgent problems with submitting or obtaining the necessary documents, and advise you on the current rules for leaving Ukraine, changing the country of temporary protection or other migration issues.

You can order a specialist consultation on our website at this link.

We remind you! Migration trends among Ukrainians, in particular with the aim of changing the country of temporary protection, are increasing, as the conditions of stay and financial assistance are changing. Read about which countries will provide repeated temporary protection in 2024 and what is needed to move in our previous article.