Overview

• The chancellor formally asked the Black-Red coalition to amend the Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz to mandate a single Bezahlkarte for all federal states.
• Under the proposal, most asylum support would be issued as prepaid credit with strict cash-withdrawal limits to deter transfers to smugglers or overseas relatives.
• CSU leader Markus Söder’s backing highlights growing CDU/CSU alignment behind replacing the current patchwork of state-run pilots.
• Ongoing legal challenges in Hamburg, technical glitches in major cities and municipal opt-outs in North Rhine-Westphalia have exposed flaws in the existing rollout.
• Discussion over the unified card is unfolding during broader debates on tightened border controls and European migration cooperation.