Asylum seekers in Vogtlandkreis will receive payment cards instead of cash from April

From April, asylum seekers in the Vogtland district will receive a payment card instead of cash. As the district administration office in Plauen announced on Wednesday, this is intended to counter possible misuse and the outflow of money to the countries of origin. In future, each asylum seeker will only be able to withdraw 50 euros of the total amount of 460 euros per month in cash.

"The introduction of the card is just a small cog in a big wheel against illegal migration," said District Administrator Thomas Hennig (CDU). However, in order to significantly stem the influx to Germany, the federal government must quickly implement significantly more measures.

According to the district administration, 800 payment cards have been ordered for around 14,000 euros. The payment card can be used to make purchases in all stores that accept Mastercard. The first cards nationwide were issued in Hamburg in mid-February.

According to the district office, around 15,600 people without German citizenship live in the Vogtland district - of which 1,650 are asylum seekers.