Rhineland-Palatinate introduces the payment card for refugees: 130 euros bar!

In Rhineland-Palatinate, a new payment card for refugee people is to be introduced, which enables them to pay in the shop and to withdraw up to 130 euros in cash. This amount is more than in most other federal states, and the Integration Minister Anne Spiegel described it as a flexible guideline, which can be adjusted on site as required. In comparison, the heads of government of the federal states had agreed on a cash amount of just 50 euros in June 2023.

The introduction of the payment card is part of a pilot project that will start on Monday in the initial reception facility Trier. Asylum seekers receive the card directly at your registration. If the test phase brings positive results, the payment card will also be implemented in a further five recording facilities. Already two municipalities, the Rhein-Palatinate district and the city of Pirmasens, have introduced the payment card independently.

reactions and expectations

However, the new regulations come across different reactions. Lisa Diener from the city's day expressed criticism that the information about the payment card is too vague and that uniform handling is necessary. The district council, in turn, criticizes the cash amount of 130 euros as too high and calls for a limitation to 50 euros

Proponents of the payment card expect this measure to create less incentives for irregular migration and, as a result, reduce the money transfers to their home country. On the other hand, critics express concerns about the actual effectiveness of the payment card on migration.

The legal basis for the payment card was decided on March 1, 2024 and came into force on May 16, 2024. According to bundes-regierung.de , all refugees who cannot secure their livelihood themselves receive benefits according to the Asylum Service Act in the form of non-cash benefits, cash or vouchers. The legal reform gives the states and municipalities more flexibility in the payment of services and obliges them to comply with minimum standards on the payment card.