Saale-Orla district employs about 100 refugees
Since the beginning of the year, the Thuringian Saale-Orla district has had a work requirement for asylum seekers. Refugees must perform charitable work there, otherwise their benefits will be reduced. The district is now drawing up a first balance sheet.
The Saale-Orla district in Thuringia has drawn up a first interim assessment of the controversial work requirement for refugees. "So far, I am very satisfied with the course of the project," CDU district administrator Christian Herrgott told MDR. Around 100 asylum seekers have been committed to work projects so far.
Exceptions are made for refugees who are attending a language course or are ill. However, several refugees have also completely refused the obligation - with consequences. "So far, we have had to impose sanctions on only seven people who have refused job offers," said district administrator Herrgott. "Their performance allowance will now be reduced from 460 to 240 euros." There are around 300 adult refugees who are eligible for the work requirement.
In the Thuringian district, refugees have been required to perform charitable activities since the beginning of the year, based on the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act. They receive an additional 80 cents per hour for this. The regulations in the law are not new; they were already enacted in 1993 but were hardly used until now. The head of the Federal Employment Agency, Andrea Nahles, had explained in February that the municipalities would use the option of the work requirement "rather sparingly".
A fifth switches to regular jobs
According to the Thuringian CDU politician, there are very different areas of activity. "This ranges from washing sports jerseys in sports clubs and mowing lawns to working at food banks or in the building yard for various municipalities," said Herrgott.
And in some cases, the work requirement also seems to help refugees to enter the regular labor market. 20 percent of those subjected to the obligation have now taken up regular employment, according to MDR.
Access to the German labor market is currently severely restricted for newly arriving refugees. According to current law, they may only start working after three months. For asylum seekers living in a reception facility and without a minor child, it is even nine months. Asylum seekers from so-called safe countries of origin have no access to the labor market.
The controversial work requirement for asylum seekers in the Saale-Orla district has led to sanctions for some refugees who refuse job offers. Their performance allowance has been reduced from 460 to 240 euros as a result.
The employment and social security regulations for asylum seekers in Thuringia allow for exceptions in cases of illness or language course attendance, but refusal to comply can lead to consequences.
