by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News July 23, 2024
The state of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany has cut the benefits of asylum seekers who refused to clean up debris following heavy flooding.
More than 60 migrants were notified by local authorities that they were required to help clear rubbish and erect dykes for a wage of 80 cents (68p) per hour after devastating floods in the area at the end of last year which saw hundreds of residents in parts of Germany forced to evacuate.
The migrants who refused to pitch in are said to be from Syria, Afghanistan, Niger, Mali, and Albania.
Urgent: Support Free Press Foundation
The Saxony-Anhalt district council said those who had no excuse to take part in the clean-up will have their asylum benefits cut in half to €232 a month for three months.
These benefits are meant to cover basic necessities, such as food, accommodation, personal hygiene, and clothing.
District councilor Andre Schroeder, who is a member of the Christian Democrat party, defended the decision saying: "Anyone who seeks protection from us from other countries can be obliged to do work that serves the common good."
The Saxony-Anhalt announcement comes just a week after Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said he was in favor of cutting social benefits for asylum seekers who enter Germany via another EU country.
Asylum seekers are already entitled to support in the country when they first enter. "They cannot expect to live off the solidarity of people here if they do not want to return," Buschmann said. "That is certainly controversial, but we must continue to address these pull factors that are currently attracting too many people to us irregularly."
