Söder calls for ending basic income for individuals under arrest warrants

Markus Söder, Bavaria's Minister President and CSU leader, announced that individuals pursued under arrest warrants must be barred from receiving Bürgergeld, calling for swift legislative action. This follows a recent Bundestag vote that rejected an AfD motion to stop basic income payments to such persons, with the coalition parties and The Left opposing the measure. The underlying issue is that job centers frequently remain unaware of active warrants, allowing recipients to keep receiving benefits despite being wanted by authorities.

Nationwide, more than 100,000 arrest warrants have been issued, though the proportion of beneficiaries among them is unclear. Previous agreements between the Union and SPD to end these payments have not materialised, partly due to disputes within the federal cabinet and opposition from Labour Minister Bärbel Bas. The debate intensified after an AfD member's call for a stop, leading to a heated exchange in parliament and the ejection of a Left party deputy.