Bayern's Governor Sends Strong Message: Halt Unemployment Benefits for Ukrainian Refugees, Tighten Immigration Policies!
Moscow, June 21 — TASS
Markus Söder, Prime Minister of Bavaria and chairman of the Christian Social Union (CSU), publicly called for an end to unemployment benefits (Bürgergeld) being issued to Ukrainian refugees.
In an interview with Bild newspaper, Söder stated: "We must seriously consider how to cut subsidies in order to raise funds for (tax reform). For example, unemployment benefits... the legal framework must be adjusted to ensure that Ukrainians no longer receive this benefit."
The Bavarian governor also emphasized that Germany should significantly increase the number of deportations of immigrants and encourage more undocumented migrants to voluntarily leave, in order to alleviate financial burdens.
In April this year, the German news portal Nius cited data from the Federal Employment Agency reporting that Germany’s expenditure on unemployment benefits (Bürgergeld) had already reached approximately €46.6 billion by 2025.
Notably, starting July 2026, Germany will reform its unemployment benefit system, aiming to increase pressure on recipients to actively seek employment. Previously, the German Bundestag passed a law stipulating that anyone arriving in Germany after April 1, 2025, from Ukraine will no longer be eligible for standard unemployment benefits but can only receive a lower "asylum seeker allowance."
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868587825607688/
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