In response to the rising number of foreign recipients of Germany’s social welfare payments, CDU Secretary General Carsten Linnemann has called for stricter European Union rules regarding worker freedom. Speaking to Bild on Monday, Linnemann said the definition of “worker” at the EU level needs to be revised.
“Working a few hours and topping up the rest of your income, even when full-time work is possible, should not be allowed,” Linnemann stated. He emphasized that “full-time employment must generally be the standard, especially for single individuals without children.” According to him, the current threshold for receiving citizen’s benefit (Bürgergeld) is too low, creating “a glaring loophole that almost invites abuse.” Linnemann added that Germany’s social system must be made “more resilient and protected from misuse by criminal networks.”
According to the German Federal Government, the proportion of citizens' allowance recipients with foreign passports has increased significantly in recent years. The proportion of non-German citizens' allowance recipients grew from 19.6 percent in 2010 to 47.3 percent in 2023. One of the reasons is the influx of hundreds of thousands of war refugees from Ukraine.
The CDU general secretary also demands harsh penalties for those who commission undeclared work: "Undeclared work has become one of the biggest gateways for the abuse of social benefits," Linnemann said. "In fact, we are talking about organized crime, about schemes that systematically plunder our social systems.”
Employers who employ people illegally must be "treated like a personally liable guarantor," Linnemann said. This means that the employer is "fully liable for any benefits that the illegally employed person has wrongfully received," the CDU politician explained. "Those who commit fraud must pay."
Meanwhile, Federal Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) announced that a package of measures to curb social fraud would be presented soon. She said she is coordinating with Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and that the Federal Employment Agency intends to establish a dedicated “competence center for misuse of benefits” for this purpose.
A key point in the fight against social fraud is “better data exchange between the federal government, the states and local authorities – for example, between immigration authorities, job centers and security authorities, especially customs,” Bas explained. This is necessary “in order to be able to systematically combat organized benefit fraud in particular.” A “tough approach” to social benefit fraud is “important because it brings everyone who is truly in need into disrepute,” the SPD politician emphasized.
From breaking news to thought-provoking opinion pieces, our newsletter keeps you informed & engaged.
