Cities exercise caution over finance cards for refugee distribution - Local governments hesitant to shoulder refugee expenses
In the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, a payment card designed to support refugees has been introduced, aiming to prevent funds from being transferred to smugglers or family abroad. The card, which offers functions for transfer and direct debit, is part of a state-wide uniform program.
Despite its introduction, the card's adoption is not yet widespread, with only four out of twelve independent cities and thirteen out of twenty-four districts having signed a cooperation agreement with the state. This cautious attitude is due to concerns about administrative complexity, costs, or integration challenges that local authorities face.
The Rhineland-Palatinate card is intended to provide a significant portion of state benefits for living expenses as credit, rather than cash. The state recommends a monthly withdrawable cash amount of 130 euros per person, which is more than in other federal states with similar cards.
The green-led integration ministry in Mainz, responsible for the program, has stated that signing an agreement regarding the payment card for refugees is still possible, and there is no deadline. This means that more municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate could still join the program.
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has expressed support for a nationwide uniform payment card for refugees, a topic he plans to bring up in his black-red coalition. However, the status of similar programs in other federal states was not addressed in the provided sources.
While detailed recent results specifically on the payment card for refugees in Rhineland-Palatinate are limited, it is clear that the current implementation is uneven, dependent on local decision-making and municipal resources. No comprehensive rollout has been confirmed publicly as of August 2025.
A state coordination office provides advice to municipalities on the use of the payment card, regardless of their cooperation agreement status. The office aims to help municipalities manage the balance between facilitating refugee support and handling budgetary and bureaucratic impacts efficiently.
As Rhineland-Palatinate is not among the leading states in asylum applications compared to North Rhine-Westphalia or Bavaria, the urgency and readiness for new payment systems may vary across municipalities. The green-led integration ministry in Mainz remains open to further discussions and agreements regarding the payment card program.
- The state of Rhineland-Palatinate could potentially secure finance for the production of agricultural products by extending the use of the refugee payment card to local businesses, thus stimulating the local general-news and politics.
- With more municipalities signing the cooperation agreement regarding the payment card for refugees, aid for the production of agricultural products could be potentially offered to support local businesses, further enhancing the state's uniform program and community aid.
