Residents of asylum accommodations will no longer receive cash in the future – to prevent possible abuse, says the responsible regional councilor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (ÖVP). The not entirely uncontroversial pilot project is now taking shape in Upper Austria and should form the basis for a national model.
“There are technical problems. I can’t imagine that the given schedule will hold.” This was said by an insider about the planned introduction of the payment card for asylum seekers in Thursday’s printed edition of the “Krone”. The initiator, State Councillor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, accepted the challenge on the same day: He presented a schedule for the implementation of the pilot project.
Employees have already been trained
The employees in the asylum quarters were trained this week and the implementation of the necessary software and the sending of the cards to the district operators are planned for the first week of July. The cards will be handed out to the first asylum seekers from 15 July. In the first pilot phase, residents of the federal care centre in Bad Kreuzen and in seven basic care centres in the Steyr region will be affected.
Full nationwide operation planned
The system will later be expanded to include asylum seekers in independent, private housing. Based on these two phases, a tender for nationwide full operation will be issued in early 2025, says Hattmannsdorfer, outlining the plan.
Hattmannsdorfer rejects criticism
Hattmannsdorfer cannot understand why the technical implementation is being questioned. The project will be carried out in close cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Agency for Care and Support Services (BBU). The “Social Card”, which is already used in 23 districts and municipalities in Germany, serves as a model. “Everything is on schedule, next week each district will receive a ‘cockpit’ for processing,” confirms Hattmannsdorfer.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
