- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Migrants in Germany Illegally Obtained Over €1 Mln in Social Payments in 2014-15

© AP Photo / Angelika WarmuthRefugees wait to be registered in a service tent at the train station in the Bavarian city of Passau, southern Germany, Monday, Nov. 2, 2015.
Refugees wait to be registered in a service tent at the train station in the Bavarian city of Passau, southern Germany, Monday, Nov. 2, 2015. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
German authorities registered hundreds of cases in which refugees and asylum seekers residing in the country tried to obtain social benefits and payments by deceit. Recently, a district court in Hannover condemned a 25-year-old refugee from Sudan who received 21,700 euro social payments after giving false information in his application form.

Sputnik Germany talked to representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Social Security to gain insight into the situation. It turned out that hundreds of refugees applied for financial assistance over the last couple of years although legally they didn't have the right to do so.

For instance, in Saarland, Germany's smallest federal state, the local authorities registered 45 cases of fraud in 2014, and 30 in 2015.

In Baden-Württemberg, 89 similar cases were registered in 2015, in which migrants who didn't receive asylum and were supposed to leave the country tried to obtain social benefits. 14 offenses were committed by the Pakistanis, 11 by Serbs, 10 by citizens of Gambia.

Overall damage across Germany amounted to €700,000 in 2014 and €500,000 in 2015.

Islamic state - Sputnik International
Syrian ‘Refugee’ on Trial in Germany For Pinpointing Targets For Daesh
At the same time, representatives of the Ministry stressed that illegal attempts to obtain social benefits are not the most acute criminal problem among migrants in Germany. Such cases make only 0.29% of the total number of offenses committed by refugees and asylum seekers.

Since early 2015, hundreds of thousands of migrants have been trying to reach EU countries through various routes. Despite Brussels' efforts to curb the migration influx, many people still continue their efforts to reach the European Union.

According to official data, Germany accepted over one million migrants in 2015 alone. The inflow of refugees raised serious concerns among local population over possible increases in crimes among migrants as well as terrorist attacks.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала