Refugees in the Freudenstadt district: forced labor or legal requirements?

Refugees in the Freudenstadt district: forced labor or legal requirements?

There is currently considerable discussion in the Freudenstadt district about the conditions under which refugees have to work. Loud Black Forest messenger Those affected are under pressure to accept work opportunities, which are available, among other things, at waste management companies and in construction yards. This practice is described by critics, such as Stefan Gohr from the Friends of Asylum, as forced labor, while the district office rejects the accusation and refers to legal judgments that classify the procedure as legitimate.

Another key aspect is the financial benefits that refugees receive during their stay. A single asylum seeker in accommodation receives 397 euros per month, made up of various items. These include, among others:

• 168,52 Euro für Nahrungsmittel, Getränke und Tabakwaren
• 40,30 Euro für Bekleidung und Schuhe
• 11,18 Euro für Gesundheitspflege
• 43,68 Euro für Verkehr
• 43,54 Euro für Post und Telekommunikation
• 38,52 Euro für Freizeit, Unterhaltung und Kultur
• 12,73 Euro für Beherbergung und Gaststättendienstleistungen
• 38,52 Euro für sonstige Waren und Dienstleistungen

Adjustments in the event of benefit cuts

In the event of benefit cuts that are triggered by the rejection of job offers, financial support falls back on some core items. For example, refugees will then only receive 168.75 euros for food and 11.19 euros for health care, which severely limits basic living needs.

The calculation of these benefits is based on the income and consumption sample of the Federal Statistical Office, with the last available figures coming from 2018. If you compare the monthly expenses of an average one-person household in Germany, it is noticeable that refugees receive around 20.76 euros less for food and, after taking inflation into account, even 75 euros less than the average citizen. This discrepancy could be even more serious given recent food price increases.

A look beyond the borders

How the support in Germany compares to other European countries is also noteworthy. Germany offers the highest asylum benefits in Europe during the application phase, such as daily news reported. Single asylum seekers here receive 441 euros per month, while asylum seekers in France receive only 440 euros without accommodation and just 210 euros with accommodation. In Denmark, the claims in addition to accommodation are significantly lower at 236 euros.

After their asylum application has been approved, asylum seekers in Germany can even apply for citizen's benefit of 563 euros. In contrast, rejected asylum seekers in Germany receive benefits similar to those of German social assistance recipients after 36 months of toleration. This is reflected in a growing number of asylum applications, of which around 250,000 were registered in 2024 - a stark contrast to Denmark, where only 2,300 applications are received.

Growing expenses and challenges

The costs of asylum seeker services have risen sharply in recent years. In 2024, around 6.7 billion euros gross were spent on these services, such as Federal Agency for Civic Education reported. The largest item goes to basic services for accommodation, food and other necessities, while special needs such as health care, although important, are less significant at a total of around 1.24 billion euros.

In 2023, net spending was around 6.4 billion euros, and votes are planned to reduce these expenses next year. The developments show that the challenges in the area of ​​refugee aid are not only of a human nature, but also of a financial dimension. It remains to be hoped that the necessary framework conditions will be created to promote the satisfaction and integration of refugees.