Bovenschulte praises agreement on refugee costs
Bremen's head of government Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD) has praised the agreement between the federal and state governments on the distribution of refugee costs. "The result is that we have reached a decent compromise," said Bremen's mayor on Tuesday in Bremen's town hall after the Minister Presidents' Conference in Berlin.
From 2024 onwards, the federal government will pay an annual lump sum of 7500 euros per first-time asylum seeker, according to the resolution paper. The federal states had initially demanded 10,500 euros per refugee per year, while the federal government only wanted to give 5,000 euros.
The state premiers had also agreed with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) that asylum seekers should receive at least part of their benefits as credit on a payment card in future. Bovenschulte said that it was not yet clear when the rule would be implemented in the state of Bremen because it was federal legislation.
Bovenschulte welcomed the fact that the resolution paper states that people with prospects of staying in Germany should be able to take up work more quickly than before. This point is "particularly close to Bovenschulte's heart", he said. There are still many legal hurdles.
"A little light, a lot of shadow," said Henrike Müller, Chairwoman of the Green Party parliamentary group, on the outcome of the conference regarding migration policy.
"We expressly welcome the fact that measures are now finally being taken to noticeably reduce irregular migration," said Marcel Schröder, spokesperson for home affairs for the FDP parliamentary group. Schröder referred to asylum seeker benefits, some of which are to be restricted.
The agreement on refugee costs in politics has positive implications for the distribution of resources, benefiting both the federal and state governments. This agreement also includes a consideration for the use of payment cards for asylum seekers' benefits, which is still under discussion for implementation in Bremen.
The ongoing discussions on migration policy show a collective focus on addressing the issue of migration, including measures to reduce irregular migration and facilitate employment for refugees with prospects of staying in Germany.
Source: www.dpa.com
