From: mmarx@Csli.Stanford.EDU (Matthew Marx)
Subject: Re: Germany's Successful Social Programs
Organization: Stanford University CSLI
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 19:31:32 GMT

I lived in Germany from the summer of '89 to the summer of '91, and
associated much with the asylum seekers described here, so I'd like to
add another viewpoint.
>  Government officials estimate that more than 500,000 asylum-seekers
>will come to Germany this year, almost double last year's total. Most
>are drawn by Germany's affluence and its generous social system, which
>pays them a monthly average of $357 a person while they wait for their
>cases to be decided. The vast majority are found to be economic rather
>than political refugees and are sent away. But the process can take
>years.

Yes, it's all disposable income, and there are refugees with nice
televisions and even VCRs. But the overwhelming majority of them live
in 10-square-meter cubicles, sometimes four or five to a room. No
telephones, no refrigerators. 

To the report's credit, only a small minority are awarded asylum. What
it doesn't say is that many of those turned away do have cases to make
about their hardships in their homelands, but more often than not, the
government will overlook these injustices since state resources just
don't exist. Of the refugees I knew, the only ones who gained asylum
were able to present proof of imprisonment at the hands of their
government.

Yet there is no doubt that thousands of gypsies loot the system.

>  Many Germans blame the asylum-seekers for unemployment, even though they
>are not allowed to work[while collecting 'unemployment'] and there
>is no evidence that that many of them are skirting the regulations.
>With slightly more evidence, the asylum-seekers are blamed for causing
>housing shortages, rising crime and environmental damage.

Their blame is founded. Although refugees are not "allowed" to work
(until having been in the country one year, I believe), many obtain
fake work permits or participate in "blackwork" (Schwarzarbeit) --
most often janitorial or other menial labor where German bosses are
more than happy to pay them dirt for the simple work they do.
Undoubtedly, many German jobs (however undesirable) are lost to this
illegal work. "No evidence" means no documentation, but it's goig on
nonetheless. 

There is also widespread suspicion that refugees (especially Africans)
are involved with drug trafficking. I personally never saw any
evidence to support this, however.

>	[Put description of Neo-Nazi escalation here, as well as effect
>	of communist withdrawal on unemployment]
>					---

>	If you leave food out you attract roaches.  The government
>left its crackers out and attracts thousands of $357/month roaches.

The German constitution guarantees political asylum to all who need
it. This worked fine until the late 80's, when the word got out that
Germany would take care of you if you applied for political asylum
while they researched your case. That meant five years of
state-supported life (however povertylike). Eventually, too many
foreigners took advantage of this, and now there are so many that
Germans simply don't want to keep going. I wouldn't be surprised if
the constitution is amended (or has been already).



>P.S. If you think the U.S. should emulate Germany's policies, how do you
>plan on plugging their leaks?

Well, the political asylum policy is one the U.S. doesn't share.
Although almost every single refugee I met wanted to come to America
(this is no exaggeration), they realized that U.S. immigration laws
are extremely strict regarding refugees and their chances were slim.
-- 
Matt Marx     mmarx@csli.stanford.edu           
So many newsgroups, so little time...

Newsgroups: ne.politics