More money for RLP municipalities for refugee aid

A bill on the State Reception Act will be submitted to the Landtag today. With this, the municipalities will receive more money for the reception, accommodation and care of asylum seekers. "The amendment to the State Reception Act will lead to a significant improvement in the financing of the task of assisting refugees for the municipalities and is an important basis for ensuring that the municipalities and the state continue to fulfil their tasks," said Minister President Malu Dreyer and Integration Minister Irene Alt.

Early yesterday evening, the municipal umbrella organisations and the Rhineland-Palatinate government jointly agreed on the cost reimbursement to be paid for refugee assistance expenses as of 1 January 2016. The starting point was the federal funds available to Rhineland-Palatinate according to the decision of the Federal Chancellor and the heads of government of the Länder on 24 September 2015. "We have worked out the necessary key points together so that they can now be introduced as a bill in the state parliament," said Finance Minister Doris Ahnen, who led the discussion together with State Secretary in the Ministry of Integration Margit Gottstein and State Secretary of Finance Salvatore Barbaro.

"I very much welcome the cornerstones that have been worked out jointly between the municipal umbrella organisations and the state government. They ensure that the state and the municipalities will continue to tackle the great challenge of taking in refugees together," said the Minister President.

Starting in 2016, the municipalities are to be paid a lump sum of 848 euros per month per refugee. This refers to the period from distribution to a local authority until the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees issues the first decision in the asylum procedure. This lump sum is paid out in full by the state exactly according to the number of refugees and the months. In this way, the municipalities are relieved effectively and quickly - regardless of how and when the federal government settles the relief for the Länder.

In addition, starting in 2016, the state will make a lump sum payment of 35 million euros at the beginning of each year for costs that are still incurred after the initial decision has been issued. For 2015, it is planned that Rhineland-Palatinate's share of the federal government's additional refugee billion of 48 million euros for the current year will be made available in full to the municipalities. Of this, 24 million euros will be provided as a lump-sum cost-share. The remaining 24 million euros of the refugee billion and another 20 million euros of Land money form an advance payment totalling 44 million euros on Land benefits due in 2016. The aim is to provide the municipalities with the necessary funds in a timely manner.

There is now also clarity for the distribution of federal funds to be used for child day care in the Länder after the abolition of the childcare allowance. Rhineland-Palatinate will receive a total of about 95 million euros from 2016 to 2018. These funds are to be divided equally between the municipalities and the state. To ensure that support is as even as possible, the municipalities will receive three equal annual instalments of around 16 million euros each (a total of around 48 million euros). These funds can be used flexibly within the framework of local target agreements to improve child day care and for additional expenditure in this area.

Source: PM from 06.11.2015