Criticizing the allocation of funds towards foreigners, a domestic cleaning service employee voices their discontent.
Ever since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there's been a surge in foreigners receiving basic security aid in Germany. Sahra Wagenknecht, chairwoman of BSW, views this as a "disappointing statistic." A labor union representative expresses valid reasons for this trend.
Approximately 50% of those receiving basic security aid aren't German citizens. A government report, following a BSW inquiry, unveiled that out of the 5.6 million recipients in May, around 2.7 million were foreign nationals.
The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), as suggested by DGB board member Anja Piel, advocates for an open discussion. "War refugees aren't in control of their circumstances, and basic security aid is solely accessible to recognized refugees." Piel added, "Acquiring language skills, having qualifications recognized, and finding employment is a challenging process for refugees, which leads to an improvement in their employment rate as they stay longer." Moreover, Piel mentioned that around 20% of the approximately 4 million employable basic security aid recipients do possess jobs, yet rely on state supplements due to their meager paychecks.
On the other hand, Wagenknecht accused the government, claiming that in May, over 700,000 Ukrainians, along with more than 700,000 people from Syria and Afghanistan, were receiving basic security aid. She asserted, "A robust social state thrives when not everyone can migrate to it. The fact that nearly half of basic security aid recipients now hold foreign passports reveals the inadequacy of German migration and integration policy, and contributes to basic security aid becoming less popular."
As per the most recent government statistics, employment rates among refugees have improved compared to the previous year. As of July 2024, 266,000 Ukrainian refugees have jobs in Germany. Among refugees from the top 8 asylum countries, there are 704,000 employed individuals, as stated by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. This marks an increase of 71,000 people in both cases compared to the previous year.
The concern raised by Sahra Wagenknecht about foreigners receiving basic security aid stemms from the fact that over 700,000 Ukrainians and over 700,000 individuals from Syria and Afghanistan are utilizing these funds, contributing to a significant portion of "The citizens' money" being spent on non-German citizens. Despite improvements in employment rates, around 20% of the employable basic security aid recipients still rely on state supplements due to their low wages.
