Counties: State must pass on money from asylum compromise
Thuringia's rural districts expect the state to pass on the federal funds from the latest asylum compromise on a one-to-one basis. "It must not lead to money being left with the state in order to restructure the state budget," said Onno Eckert (SPD), Vice President of the Association of Districts, in Erfurt on Friday. At the same time, he expects the rules for financing Ukrainian refugees from the past two years to be continued in 2024.
Last week, the federal and state governments reached an agreement on the future distribution of refugee costs. According to the agreement, the federal government will pay an annual lump sum of 7500 euros for each first-time asylum seeker from 2024. In the first half of 2024, there will be an advance payment of 1.75 billion euros. According to State Chancellery Leader Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff (Left Party), Thuringia will receive around 46 million euros.
Rural municipalities in Thuringia, like Onno Eckert's district, hope the state will proportionately distribute the federal funds from the asylum compromise, as per the recent agreement between federal and state governments. Eckert emphasizes the importance of not allowing the funds to be used for state restructuring, instead continuing the financial aid rules for Ukrainian refugees in 2024.
Source: www.dpa.com
