Germany to cut social benefits for refugees from 2024

Starting from the New Year, Germany will reduce social benefits for all refugees. The decision was made by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the heads of the state governments.

According to the new rules, refugees will be eligible for social assistance only after three years of receiving reduced benefits, not after a year and a half as it was before. The federal center will also stop paying a total of 7,500 euros per year to each asylum seeker in Germany.

It was also decided to issue refugees a special card to pay for services, which will limit access to cash. The working group is to develop a model by the end of January.

As for refugees from Ukraine, after 36 months of living in dormitories, they will receive only "those payments that they really need." This new rule also applies to migrants who are subject to protection and migrants whose stay Germany is forced to tolerate.

The German government expects that these measures will allow the states and local communities to save 1 billion euros. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner expressed satisfaction with the compromise and noted that it would ease the financial pressure on the regions and help weaken Germany's attractiveness as a welfare state for migrants.