[Februar 2025]
Nationwide conference on the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act – ABOLISH! with a focus on the payment card of the “Equal social rights for ALL!” network
When? Saturday, 15.02.2025 10 am – 6 pm
Where? Hanover, UJZ Korn, Kornstr. 28-30
Program and registration here, for questions email info [ät] asylblg-abschaffen [dot] de
Swap date in Strausberg
When? Wednesday, 12.02.2025, 4-6 p.m.
Where? Julie, August-Bebel-Sr. 20a, 15344 Strausberg
Swap date in Seelow
When? Tuesday 11.02.2025
Where? Seelow, district of MOL
For more detailed information, please send an email to nein-zur-bezahlkarte [ät] mailbox [dot] org
Networking/alliance meeting No to the Berlin/Brandenburg payment card
When? Tuesday, 11.02.2025, 6 pm
Where? Manteuffelstr. 63, 10999 Berlin (in the rooms of the iw*s)
[Januar 2025]
Demo “CDU tears down the firewall“
When? Thursday, 30.01.2025, 6 p.m.
Where? In front of the Konrad Adenauer House in Berlin
The payment card for asylum seekers: A technology between the promise of innovation and surveillancearticle with an overview of the three payment card systems and their providers from the Centre for Responsible Digitalization.
Response from the Berlin Senate Department to the written question from MP Elif Eralp (Die Linke) on Why was the payment card introduced despite massive criticism from refugee organizations and how high are the additional costs?
[Dezember 2024]
Potsdam renews its council decision not to introduce the payment card in the independent city and thus successfully opposes racist symbolic politics.
Berlin Senate decides to introduce a payment card for asylum seekers, SPD gives up resistance. The compromise: the cash limit of 50 euros should “only” apply for the first 6 months.
Elbe-Elster district: The camp in Hohenleipisch is to be closed at the beginning of 2025! Good news, because Hohenleipisch is one of the most isolated camps in Brandenburg. However, the “alternatives” are not much better. Housing for all – abolish the camp!
[November 2024]
No to the payment card conference in Berlin and Brandenburg
International Women* Space, Space2groW, We’ll come united Berlin/Brandenburg and many others invite you to exchange ideas and network. Let’s organize together against the payment card! Program and contact: bezahlkarte [ät] iwspace [dot] de
When? Saturday, 23.11.2024
Where? Berlin
[Oktober 2024]
The Brandenburg state government has announced that the conditions for the introduction of the payment card via the provider “secupay” have now been created.
Articles Problems with the payment card by Netzpolitik and Long list of problems ProAsyl.
[September 2024]
secupay AG has been awarded the contract to provide the payment card in 14 federal states after the Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court lifted the ban on awarding the contract in an urgent decision.
This means that the 14 federal states involved in the tender can now start implementing the payment card system (not included: Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which are going their own way).
The ban on awarding the contract initially existed due to appeals lodged by the unsuccessful provider PayCenter GmbH, which already operates the payment card in the Brandenburg district of Märkisch-Oderland, among others.
[August 2024]
25 – 28.08.2024 Berlin, Oranienplatz: No Borders, No Lagers: Intersectional art and culture festival by Women in Exile (and friends), including a workshop on the payment card. Here’s a report from the festival.
The Brandenburg State Commissioner for Data Protection publishes a position paper on the data protection limits of the use of payment cards to grant benefits under the AsylbLG.
[Juli 2024]
The Berlin Refugee Council launches petition No to the payment card!
[Juni 2024]
Stage victory in summary proceedings against the restrictive payment card at the Hamburg Social Court.
Nuremberg Social Welfare Court rules in favor of two plaintiffs in summary proceedings against restrictions on the payment card, in particular against the regional restrictions and the difficulty of making bank transfers and online purchases.
[Mai 2024]
On May 16, 2024, the amendment to the AsylbLG comes into force, which makes it legally possible to grant benefits nationwide in certain constellations with the help of a payment card.
The district of Märkisch-Oderland (MOL ) is the first district in Brandenburg to introduce the payment card; the provider is PayCenter.
[Februar 2024]
The Berlin Refugee Council, together with over 60 civil society organizations, associations and initiatives, publishes a letter of protest against the payment card. The letter is addressed to the Governing Mayor Wegner and the Senator for Integration Kiziltepe as well as the members of the Berlin House of Representatives in order to stop the introduction of the deterrent payment card in Berlin.
[Januar 2024]
The Brandenburg state government approves 1.9 million euros for the introduction of a payment card for asylum seekers. This shows that Switching to a payment card system is not only cumbersome, but also costly!
1.9 million euros in a measure that brings no practical benefit…
[November 2023]
The Conference of Minister Presidents (MPK) decides to introduce a nationwide payment card for recipients of benefits under the AsylbLG.