CDU parliamentary group accuses Greens of blocking introduction of payment card for refugees

The CDU parliamentary group in the Saxon state parliament has accused the Greens at federal level of torpedoing a nationwide solution for the introduction of a payment card for refugees. This blockade is irresponsible and once again demonstrates the Greens' "misguided migration policy", explained CDU interior politician Ronny Wähner in Dresden on Sunday. "The federal states agree that we need these in Germany to help limit irregular migration. The Greens are endangering social peace for their ideological daydreams."

"The administrative burden for such a payment system must be kept as low as possible for the municipalities through a uniform federal model. However, it is clear that if this does not happen, we in Saxony will have to go our own way. For us as the CDU, one thing is certain: the payment card must come," emphasized Wähner.

This topic had also caused a rift in the traffic light coalition in the federal government. The sticking point is the question of whether federal legislation is necessary or at least sensible for the introduction of the card. Representatives of the FDP, SPD and CDU spoke out in favor of this at the weekend. The Greens consider existing legal possibilities to be sufficient. FDP deputy leader Wolfgang Kubicki threatened to break up the coalition.

14 of 16 federal states agreed on a joint procurement procedure for the introduction of the payment card at the end of January. Among other things, the card is intended to prevent refugees from sending money to smugglers or to their family or friends abroad. The payment card already exists in some places. Local authorities currently pay out cash to asylum seekers so that they can use it to make purchases. In future, they will be able to do this with the payment card - similar to a debit card.