Activists Challenge Bezahlkarte System for Refugees in Germany

Efforts are underway in several German cities to bypass the restrictive cash card system for asylum seekers.

In Bavaria and Thuringia, activists are facilitating the exchange of supermarket vouchers for cash to help refugees circumvent the Bezahlkarte system.
The Bezahlkarte, which limits cash withdrawals to 50 euros monthly, is criticized as discriminatory and restricting for asylum seekers.
The system aims to prevent financial transfers to home countries and is part of broader asylum policy changes agreed upon by the federal government and most states.
Initiatives like 'Abolish Bezahlkarte!' in Thuringia distribute approximately 15,000 euros monthly to refugees who trade in vouchers.
Legal challenges to the card's restrictions have seen some success, with courts ruling the cash limit unlawful for certain vulnerable groups.