Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has announced that the ban on work for asylum seekers will be lifted quickly. His spokesperson said he has drawn up a “Sofort‑in‑Arbeit‑Plan” a plan that would let asylum applicants work after just three months of residence in Germany, even if their asylum process is still pending.
“Anyone who comes here should be able to work – and fast” Dobrindt told the German newspaper “Bild am Sonntag”. “The best way to integrate people is through employment, and the goal is participation by means of work”.
According to the “Bild”, the minister’s proposal does not impose a labour‑market obligation; it simply grants access to full‑time jobs as well as minijobs. A Dobrindt spokesperson stressed that the new rules will not alter the course or outcome of asylum proceedings: “Whether a person works or not does not influence the final decision on protection or rejection. The asylum procedure continues independently”.
Applicants who have already been denied asylum, or who obstruct the process by hiding their identity or falsifying flight reasons, are specifically excluded from benefiting. Working asylum seekers are generally allowed to keep their earnings, though if they receive social benefits the income will be deducted, for example, to cover accommodation costs.
