The asylum seeker payment card will soon be available throughout Germany. They already exist in Bavaria. How a woman from East Africa deals with it – and how it can be done differently.
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In Germany, payment cards for asylum seekers are being introduced to limit cash withdrawals and prevent money transfers abroad. In Bavaria, a woman from East Africa is having problems with her card because not all shops accept card payments. The card is based on Mastercard and is not accepted everywhere. Critics criticize the restrictions and the complex process for money transfers. Other states such as Hannover rely on a social card with fewer restrictions. The debate over payment cards divides countries.
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© Daniel Farò/Connected Archives
The ATM doesn’t dispense cash. The machine tells you in English that the PIN code is incorrect. Jamila Nakijoba* sighs and takes the white-and-blue card with the diamond pattern out of the slot. She knows that to solve the problem, she will soon have to get back on the bus and drive to the district office. The woman from East Africa has been living in East Africa for two years Bavaria. Maypole on the village square, onion dome on the church, petunias on the wooden balconies. Here she asked for asylum so that she would not be forced to marry the brother of her deceased husband in her home country. And here her daily life has been more complicated for a few weeks because of the plastic card.