Fight for payment card: activists bypass System - CSU demands hard punishments!

Fight for payment card: activists bypass System - CSU demands hard punishments!

In Bavaria, activists of refugee aid have become active and try to avoid the new payment card for asylum seekers through exchange actions. This digital payment option was introduced across the board in June and replaced the previous system in which money payments were paid to the refugees. This is intended to prevent abuse and emigration from asylum seekers to other countries. Former Minister of Justice Winfried Bausback from the CSU is already demanding stricter measures against this bypass. "This is not acceptable," he said, and spoke out to prohibit such exchange campaigns by law.

Together with the Bavarian Landkreisstag, Bausback is concerned about the developments related to the payment card. "We are not allowed to watch in mind," he said. Thomas Karmasin, President of the District Council, commented that in the event of an accumulation of such attempts to circumvent, "quickly readjusted" to ensure the positive achievements of the card system.

The system of the payment card

The payment card enables asylum seekers to buy Mastercard in shops that accept Mastercard and to withdraw up to 50 euros per person per month. The aim is to control access to financial means and ensure that services are only used for daily needs. So far, a good 50,000 cards have been issued, and the first feedback from the counties are mostly positive.

However, there are reports of attempts to bypass the payment card. In Munich, for example, refugees bought vouchers with the card, which can be exchanged for cash in interchangeable rooms. This gives you more cash than would be allowed with the payment card. This also happens in Nuremberg, where groups such as the Bavarian Refugee Council and anti -fascist organizations stand behind these actions in order to protest against a policy that is perceived as increasingly authoritarian.

The activists argue that they want to help the refugees and face a policy that criminalizes asylum seekers. Rischpler from the district council, on the other hand, makes it clear that the payment card is a crucial instrument to ensure existential services. "Where there are individual requirements, a solution is found," he emphasizes, adding that the card should not promote abuse, be it to pay tractors or to support people abroad.

The political discussion about the payment card remains violent. While parts of the CSU urge strict measures to prevent this bypass attempts, there are also voices that indicate the needs of the refugees. This debate not only reflects the challenges of the new system, but also the tensions in the political argument about the integration and support of those seeking protection. The situation is continued and it remains to be seen which measures are taken to contain the attempts to circumvent.

For detailed information on the background and developments of the payment card for asylum seekers in Bavaria, see the report on www.bayerische-staatszeitung.de .