German Finance Minister Christian Lindner has proposed a new legal status for Ukrainian refugees to reduce the costs associated with the country's citizen's income program, known as Bürgergeld.
Lindner suggests that Ukrainian refugees should not automatically receive Bürgergeld, which is designed to provide a socio-economic minimum for societal participation without work.
Instead, he proposes a combination of asylum seeker benefits with labor market tools intended for Bürgergeld recipients.
This move aims to encourage more refugees to enter the workforce.
The proposal comes amid broader discussions on reforming the Bürgergeld system, including a shift to standardized housing cost reimbursements.
The government, however, has not yet committed to any overarching changes to the legal status of Ukrainians in Germany.
