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Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD): The feasibility of asylum procedures in third countries is being “examined”

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Serhat Kocak / dpa

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) is responsible for processing asylum procedures.

According to Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser's wishes, the authority is to receive significantly more positions.

“We are strengthening the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees with 1,160 additional staff,” said the SPD politician to “Welt am Sonntag”.

When asked by the dpa news agency, a spokesman for the ministry confirmed that these are full-time positions and should be filled “as quickly as possible”.

According to its own information, the Bamf currently has around 8,000 positions.

The federal government is also doing a lot to speed up and digitize asylum procedures, said Faeser.

“We are now spending an additional 300 million euros on this.”

Regarding the federal government's ongoing examination of the feasibility of asylum procedures in third countries, Faeser said that this was ongoing.

»We are looking into this and are currently listening to scientists about it.

There are experts who believe such a regulation is possible, others say that the legal situation would have to be changed. The benchmark is human rights, as they are protected in European law and the German constitution.

When asked where she could imagine such procedures, Faeser said: "For example, in states that are on the route to Western Europe and adhere to constitutional standards."

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the heads of government of the federal states agreed in November that the federal government would examine whether asylum procedures were possible outside of Europe.

A result is not yet available, but could be discussed at the next meeting of the group next week.

City Council fears chaos with payment cards

Meanwhile, the German Association of Cities called on the federal states to find common rules for the planned payment card for asylum seekers.

Otherwise there is a risk of a patchwork quilt, said the association's general manager, Helmut Dedy, to the editorial network Germany.

The traffic light coalition has created clarity under federal law.

“Nevertheless, almost all further detailed questions about the payment card are still open,” said Dedy.

The states must now ensure “that the payment card is introduced compulsorily in all of their municipalities.

And under the same conditions as possible.«

Dedy mentioned, among other things, the question of whether the card should be valid for newly arrived asylum seekers or for refugees who have been living here for a long time, up to what amount cash can be withdrawn and whether the card can only be used for certain goods.

To do this, the states would have to agree on standards that apply nationwide.

"They wanted the payment card, decided on it and, with the exception of Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, advertised it together - now they have to ensure that there is no patchwork," warned Dedy.

The federal cabinet decided on Friday that the planned payment card would be secured by a federal law.

It's about a federal regulation for payment cards that the states are introducing for asylum seekers.

Part of the state benefits for asylum seekers will in future be provided as credit on this payment card.

The card is intended to prevent asylum seekers from transferring money to smugglers or to their family or friends abroad.

The specific design is still unclear in many places - the tender process for the card is still ongoing.

At the end of January, 14 of 16 federal states agreed on a joint procurement process to introduce a payment card for asylum seekers, which should be completed by the summer.

Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are going their own way, but also want to introduce a payment card.

sol/dpa