Kiziltepe criticizes decisions on migration policy
Berlin's Senator for Social Affairs, Cansel Kiziltepe, has clearly criticized the decisions made last week by the federal and state governments on migration policy. She considers the idea of issuing payment cards instead of money to be wrong. The SPD politician told "Der Spiegel" (Monday) that this would result in an enormous stigmatization of refugees. "People are fleeing dramatic emergencies such as war and displacement and do not make their decisions dependent on the type and form of a social benefit," said the Senator for Social Affairs and Integration.
From an integration policy perspective, it is also a major step backwards that work opportunities for refugees for a fee of 80 cents to one euro are being discussed. Kiziltepe does not consider the federal government's pledges of financial support for the federal states to be sufficient. "Every euro that we cannot spend sensibly today due to the rigid requirements of the debt brake will be doubled and tripled as additional costs in a few years' time," she warned.
Kiziltepe also takes a critical view of the mandate to outsource asylum procedures to third countries. Outsourcing would effectively mean withdrawing from the Geneva Refugee Convention (GRC) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The federal and state governments reached an agreement on the future distribution of refugee costs at a conference of minister presidents last Tuesday after months of dispute. The federal government wants to pay a lump sum of 7500 euros per capita for people applying for asylum in Germany for the first time.
In addition, benefits for asylum seekers will in future only rise to approximately the same level as regular social assistance after 36 months instead of the previous 18 months. And people seeking protection are to receive at least part of their benefits as credit on a payment card in future.
Kiziltepe voiced concerns about the federal and state governments' decision to issue payment cards instead of direct cash to refugees, stating it would significantly stigmatize them. Additionally, she expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government's financial support for federal states, arguing that rigid debt brake requirements could lead to exponential costs in the future.
Source: www.dpa.com
