Social Assistance for Refugees in Germany

Abstract

The report covers the fields of financial benefits, accommodation, counselling, language tuition and social support. In general, the rights regarding social assistance of asylum seekers and persons with exceptional leave to remain are less encompassing than those of German citizens or recognized refugees. Their rights are covered by the Asylum Seekers Benefit Act, which provides for slightly lower financial assistance than Germans social security payments (for the first 15 months of the stay). The federal government or the länder make most of the policies regarding social assistance, even if the municipalities have some leeway in their implementation. This leads to a great diversity of services in practice. The local level has most flexibility regarding voluntary tasks such as language tuition or counselling. They are often provided in collaboration with non- profit organizations, which are supported by funding or coordination.