Overview
- The draft would reclassify Ukrainians who arrived after April 1 under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act, reducing their monthly allowance from 563 to 441 euros.
- The change would end their entitlement to job-center integration programs, including language courses and vocational training.
- Calculations forecast 1.32 billion euros in Bürgergeld savings offset by 1.375 billion euros in asylum benefit costs for 2026, yielding no net budget relief.
- States and municipalities warn of administrative strain and demand full compensation after absorbing extra asylum benefit expenses.
- After inter-ministerial review, the proposal will go to the cabinet, then to the Bundestag and Bundesrat for final passage by year-end, even as CSU leaders press for wider cuts and SPD ministers insist on respecting the coalition agreement.