Markus Söder demands end to citizen’s benefit for all Ukrainian refugees in Germany

Contrary to what was agreed in the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD, CSU leader Markus Söder wants to completely abolish citizen's benefit (Bürgergeld) payments for people from Ukraine. It must be ensured that “there is no more citizen's benefit for all those who have come from Ukraine,” Söder said in ZDF's ‘Sommerinterview’ on Sunday. This must apply “not only to those who come in the future,” he said, “but to everyone.”

‍

‍
He wants to “push this through” in the coalition, Söder said in the pre-recorded interview for the ZDF program “Berlin direkt.” This is because there is “no country in the world” that treats refugees from Ukraine the way Germany does with citizen's benefit. This is one reason why “so few people from Ukraine are working” in this country, even though they have a good education.

‍
Söder thus went beyond an agreement in the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD. The agreement stipulates April 1 of this year as the cut-off date. Anyone arriving from Ukraine after that date will only receive lower asylum seeker benefits if they can prove they are in need, and will no longer receive citizen's benefit.

‍

‍