The authoritarian payment card is coming!

We don’t want to accept that, we want to organize and network together. We invite you – the Stop Payment Card Freiburg campaign – to a meeting on October 16th at 6:30 p.m. in the Haus der Jugend.

Since 2024, the possibility of introducing the payment card has been stipulated in the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act at the federal level. The payment card is a means of payment for refugees that is intended to replace a bank card. The use of the card can be restricted, controlled and determined externally. Specifically, these are measures such as limiting the amount of cash available per month (€50/person), restricting the use of the card to a postcode area, excluding certain industries and merchant groups, and preventing online transfers and online services.

Now 14 out of 16 federal states have decided on a joint implementation and want to order the municipalities to introduce the payment card from “above” and in a very restrictive manner. Questionable arguments are given such as preventing repayments to countries of origin and reducing the so-called pull factors. The Federal Ministry of the Interior (as of March 19, 2024) has “no information” on foreign transfers from asylum seekers for the last five years. At a hearing of the Committee on Labor and Social Affairs (08.04.024), a majority of the invited experts emphasized that the level of social benefits is not decisive for migration movements.

Rather, the introduction of the payment card can be classified into a canon of racist, exclusionary and nationalist politics and brings with it many problems for those affected. Refugees already receive the lowest survival benefits in terms of livelihood security. People have to get by with the minimum subsistence allowance, which is more than €100 less than the citizen’s allowance (€563/month for individuals), per month. There is no interference with the ability to dispose of the little money an existential problem for those affected. There are also severe restrictions on fundamental rights and freedom and further exclusion and stigmatization.

We will not simply accept the introduction of the payment card or the exclusionary authoritarian politics behind it. We will build systems to combat the restrictions on individuals that the payment card brings with it.

We would like to exchange ideas and organize with you – all interested parties and representatives of various groups.

“Stop payment card” initiative Freiburg

• Tags:
• Networking
• Appointment