In order to speed up the handling of the migrant crisis that is putting pressure on the economy as well as security and society, the German Federal Parliament has just passed a number of landmark reforms, including issuing payment cards to migrants and refugees.
Accordingly, in the coming time, refugees in Germany will receive living allowances from the states through payment cards instead of being provided with cash as they are now. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that payment cards can be used to purchase goods and services in daily life. However, money transfers and cross-border payments will not be possible. Cash withdrawals are limited, taking into account each specific case and local reality. This regulation will be applied uniformly throughout Germany. Currently, there are more than 3 million refugees in Germany.
The influx of migrants is straining public resources in Germany’s local governments. Local authorities have complained about the inability to secure housing for refugees and the lack of staff to deal with the more than 250,000 asylum seekers expected to arrive in the country by 2023. States and municipalities have pressed the government to provide funding to ensure the already overcrowded conditions of asylum seekers, as well as care and integration.
The enactment of reform policies to address the migrant crisis is expected to bring about improvements in the coming time. However, to significantly reduce illegal migration, the German government believes that a common European asylum system is still needed, in which the external borders of the European Union (EU) need to be strictly controlled.
Germany is also facing pressure to implement tougher measures under a hard-fought EU deal reached last October and awaiting approval by the European Parliament: the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, which includes provisions to ease the burden on frontline countries like Germany.
THANH HANG
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