Saale-Orla District Moves to Replace Cash for Asylum Seekers with Payment Cards
In line with Greiz district, Saale-Orla district is planning to switch from cash payments to payment cards for asylum seekers. As announced on Monday, asylum seekers can utilize the payment cards to buy necessities and manage daily expenses, but won't be able to carry out cash withdrawals or international transfers. The district administration office in Schleiz has proposed to implement the change "as soon as feasible", without providing an exact date.
As a preliminary step, Saale-Orla district is keen on observing the experience with payment cards in Greiz district first. The new payment card system is anticipated to be rolled out in Thuringia by December 1, marking a pilot project. District councilor Thomas Fügmann (CDU) strongly advocates for a "uniform, nationwide or at least Thuringia-wide" regulation. If a speedy implementation at national or regional levels seems unfeasible, Saale-Orla would take the lead by adopting the Greiz model.
The motive behind the shift towards payment cards is to ease the administrative burden of monthly cash payments, as well as to avert potential misuse of social benefits by refugees.
Last week, federal and state governments agreed to provide at least a portion of benefits to asylum seekers through payment cards. It's worth noting that other European countries, such as Sweden, have also implemented payment cards for asylum seekers to reduce bureaucracy and prevent misuse.
Saale-Orla district is contemplating the Greiz district's model of providing payment cards to asylum seekers to minimize administrative overheads and curb misuse of social benefits. With Thuringia's municipalities set to align their payment card policies, district councilor Thomas Fügmann's call for a uniform or regional approach resonates strongly.
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Shift towards payment cards for asylum seekers is a growing trend in European countries, including Germany, as countries seek to minimize bureaucracy and prevent misuse of social benefits. It's worth noting that other countries like Sweden have implemented the system with success. Despite these developments, the specifics of the proposal in question, including its current status and rationale, remain unclear.
To obtain more information about the proposal in Saale-Orla district, one would have to refer to local government announcements, official documents, or news articles focusing specifically on this matter.
