North Rhine-Westphalia’s premier, Hendrik Wüst of the CDU, has called for German social benefit rates for asylum seekers to be brought in line with EU standards. In the Tuesday issue of “Bild”, Wüst said that Germany must “seriously discuss ways to adjust the high German social assistance rates for asylum seekers to the rules of other EU states”. He added that the state has introduced a prepaid card system intended to curb cash transfers and reduce incentives for social‑welfare abuse. The comments come amid reports that a Bosnian asylum seeker whose application was denied in 2003 is still in Germany with eight children, despite having committed numerous crimes. Wüst told “Bild” that he understands the anger surrounding the case, noting that it starkly exposes the weaknesses of German asylum law. He stressed that those who are not granted a residence right must be returned to their home countries swiftly, and that “it should never happen that rejected or criminal asylum seekers live on our social security systems for years”.
Politics
