Berlin plans to suspend the monthly cash withdrawal limit on payment cards issued to asylum seekers. The cards, introduced in the capital in August, replaced cash payments; users have generally been able to withdraw only €50 per month. The Tagesspiegel reported that the restriction is set to be lifted for the time being.
Social Affairs Senator Cansel Kiziltepe of the SPD told the newspaper that the cash limit has “a discriminatory character.” The Berlin Refugee Council had challenged the introduction of the cards under the state’s anti-discrimination law, arguing that distributing benefits through the cards discriminates against people receiving support under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act because of their social status.
Emily Barnickel of the Berlin Refugee Council said the group was glad the “discriminatory cash limit” would be suspended, but described the decision as a “partial success on a longer path.” The council says the payment card is a symptom of what it calls a racist special law and is calling for the law’s abolition and equal social and legal rights for everyone in Germany.
The Asylum Seekers Benefits Act sets out support for people during asylum proceedings, as well as for people required to leave Germany and those with tolerated status. Its benefit levels are below those of other forms of social assistance, and it limits access to medical care compared with statutory health insurance.
The suspension is not necessarily permanent. Coalition talks between The Left, Greens and SPD have begun in Berlin. The Left and Greens have opposed the card, while the SPD’s election platform also opposed it, according to the report.
Challenges to payment cards are also under way in several other states. Some preliminary court decisions have rejected a blanket €50 cash limit in light of individual circumstances, but final rulings are still pending. Critics also say that restrictions on transfers and the way the cards identify users can hinder participation and expose them to discrimination.
Sources: netzpolitik.org.