Germany’s Federal Employment Agency Is Promoting Welfare Benefits to Young Migrants

Germany’s Federal Employment Agency is actively promoting the country’s “citizen’s benefit” (Bürgergeld) to young migrants, presenting it online as a straightforward and appealing option for those without work.

A dedicated section of the agency’s website, written in English for “people from abroad,” features a smiling young couple — including a man in his early thirties holding a book and a woman in a hijab — under the headline: “If you are unable to finance your own living expenses, under certain circumstances the Jobcenter will support you with the citizen’s benefit.”

The site outlines that the benefit is a state welfare payment for those with “no income or who do not earn enough money” to support themselves and their dependents. Basic eligibility criteria are listed plainly: “You are capable of working,” “You are at least 15 years old,” and “You live in Germany and the center of your life is here.” The guidance stresses that applicants need not be elderly or unfit for work — those under 15 or unable to work can also receive support if they are part of a “community of need” with someone who qualifies.

Alongside the requirements, the website presents the process as quick and simple. A prominent red box invites visitors to “apply online,” advising them that if they already have an account, they can begin their application “immediately.”

The page also sets out obligations for recipients — attending Jobcenter appointments, informing the agency of any changes in personal circumstances — but the overall tone is one of ease and accessibility.

Writing in Focus, columnist Jan Fleischhauer uses the site as a starting point for a broader critique of Germany’s welfare policy toward migrants. He notes that “one in two recipients of the citizen’s benefit doesn’t have a German passport,” and says the warm, promotional tone of the agency’s online material undermines political claims that immigration is essential to sustain the social safety net.

“Germany is so generous that it not only explains to immigrants from abroad how to get a job, but also how to make ends meet in Germany without one,” he writes.

Fleischhauer argues that few countries would so openly market their welfare systems to newcomers, and that the policy has been “a complete success” in driving take-up among non-citizens. He points to the steady rise in costs — from €39 billion in 2022 to €47 billion in 2024 — not including accommodation and healthcare expenses.

He also highlights Health Minister Nina Warken’s proposal to shift medical costs for Bürgergeld recipients out of health insurance budgets and into general taxation, claiming advocates of the benefit “fear nothing more than transparency” about the true financial burden.

Remix News has reported often on the imbalance between German citizens and foreigners receiving welfare benefits. In November last year, we cited statistics from the Federal Employment Agency (BA) which showed that of the 4 million people who can work but receive social benefits in Germany, more than 2.5 million have a migration background, constituting 63.5 percent of all recipients.

This group includes foreigners and those who have a foreign background, which means their parents may have been born abroad.

In June, Bild reported how nearly half of Germany’s €17.68 billion in housing support for 2024 was paid out to foreigners, citing government data. The money, distributed under the citizen’s benefit system, was used to cover rent, heating, operating costs, and deposits for low-income residents.

Of the total, €8.15 billion went to people without German citizenship, even though they make up just around 15 percent of the population.

The remaining €9.53 billion went to German citizens — this includes German-born individuals and those born elsewhere who have become naturalized.

Following its electoral success, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) vowed to address the rising costs of immigrants claiming benefits.

Its General Secretary, Carsten Linnemann, warned against this trend in April. “Once again, it shows how urgently this citizen’s allowance needs to be abolished.” He said the new government, which his party will lead, will “tackle this quickly.”