The North Rhine‑Westphalian premier, Hendrik Wüst of the CDU, has said he wants to adjust the level of social benefits paid to asylum seekers in Germany to match EU standards. In an interview with the “Bild” (Tuesday edition), Wüst stated, “We should seriously discuss ways to bring the high German benefit rates for asylum seekers in line with the rules of other EU countries. We need to keep working hard and consistently on a better asylum system so that we can meet the needs of those who truly require our protection”.
In North Rhine‑Westphalia, a pay card scheme has been introduced to curb the use of money transfers as a loophole and to reduce incentives for social fraud. The discussion follows recent reports about a Bosnian asylum seeker whose 2003 application was rejected. Despite having eight children and numerous criminal convictions, he is reportedly still living in Germany. Wüst told “Bild” that he understands the anger people feel over the case, which highlights the weaknesses of German asylum law. He added that individuals who are not granted residence rights must be returned swiftly to their home countries, and that it should not be possible for rejected or criminal asylum seekers to live on our social security system for years.