Münchner exchange: refugees exchange vouchers for cash!

Münchner exchange: refugees exchange vouchers for cash!

in Munich, a long line of refugee people has formed in front of the left district office. The scene is alive and diverse, with languages like Arabic and French that are in the air. Mothers try to calm their children while men speak feverishly on their telephones. The reason for this rush? Cash. Since the introduction of the payment card in June, asylum seekers have only received 50 euros per month in cash. This regulation was introduced to prevent state funds from being transferred to the countries of origin, but many critics find this insufficient and discriminatory.

In this situation, the Munich initiative "Open!" active. She has launched a exchange exchange in which refugees have the opportunity to exchange supermarket vouchers for cash. These supermarket vouchers are purchased using the payment card and then exchanged for cash that comes from citizens of all social classes. In return, these citizens receive the vouchers. The records of the exchange campaign are clearly regulated: vouchers worth up to 50 euros can be exchanged per person, which is intended to cover the spontaneous need for cash.

commitment and criticism

The course of the exchange campaign is well organized, and volunteers like Stephan Holzmann ensure that everything goes peaceful. The refugees, including many families with children, are embedded in a certain order, with mothers with children priority. Beni, a 24-year-old man from the Congo, is also among the waiting. He says that the 50 euros per month is not enough to cover his needs, especially because in some shops, such as African supermarkets, the payment card is not accepted.

The initiative is supported by Marina Dietweger, the district chairman of the Munich Left. She sees the payment card critically and describes it as racist because asylum seekers are already easy to recognize when paying for the card. For them, the card is a symbol of the high administrative effort without great benefit. The exchanging exchange, on the other hand, offers direct help and enables the refugees to pay in cash, for example for school activities for children or language courses.

political reactions and future of the exchange exchange

While the campaign is positive with the refugees and supporters, political resistance is stirring. The working group lawyers in the CSU are committed to sanctions against the exchange exchange. You consider the trade to be an attempt to undermine the nationwide payment card system and urge measures to prevent this "bypass attempts".

For more information on the background history of these events, Read the detailed report on www.focus.de .