Germany (bbabo.net), - Refugees who received bank cards instead of cash began to leave Germany. Bild reports this.

In the district of Greiz (Thuringia), while the federal government is still discussing the possibility of introducing bank cards for refugees, they have already begun to issue them. About 200 people have received them today, but by the end of the month all 740 migrants will be issued cards.

“The mood in the country is very tense. We have no social housing because it has all gone to asylum seekers. It's not good if they walk around with several hundred euros in their wallets. Switching to bank cards is not an unreasonable restriction. The law obliges refugees to stay only in the area where they were sent for the first three months,” said local government spokesman Martin Schweinsburg.

The system is as follows: refugees - mainly from Syria and Afghanistan - receive cards, which the district administration replenishes monthly. Purchases can be made anywhere, but cards are only valid in a specific region. In addition, bank transfers are not possible, for example to your home country or to repay loans. Once the credit balance reaches EUR 5,000, the card is no longer replenished.

Most migrants “accept the changes and are happy that they are getting something,” refugee support services told Bild newspaper. However, after the innovation, about 15 people said that they needed cash, not a card, and agreed to leave Germany. The number of deportees from the Greiz district has increased significantly, notes Bild.

“A bank card allows you to separate the wheat from the chaff. Those who really need shelter do not care about the method of payment: they buy clothes and food with benefits. But some, especially young people, use the benefit to buy new mobile phones,” says refugee support director Dagmar Peland.

bbabo.Net