The claim
An employee with a net income of 1,200 euros has less money at his disposal than an asylum seeker.
Our conclusion
The information on the Sharepic refers to outdated figures from Austria, which only affected some of the asylum seekers. The comparison level also lags because a salary that is further below average was deliberately specified as a reference value. The suggestion that asylum seekers, for example, get cell phones paid for and are allowed to use buses and trains for free is also wrong!
This is the picture:

With the title “ This is what it looks like – justice according to the government ”, the picture compares the income of an average employee (1,200 euros net) with the income of an asylum seeker (according to the picture 837 euros).
At the end of the bill, the employee only has 100 euros left, while the asylum seeker still has his full 837 euros at his disposal because everything is paid for. Medical costs, GIS, possibly costs for cars or public transport, acquisition costs for furniture or other things are not included .
Update: February 11, 2023
This article was created in 2019.
However, the sharepic is just reappearing and was only published again at the beginning of February 2023.

Where does the picture come from?
___STEADY_PAYWALL___
The image is shared very frequently in Germany. But it is not intended to reflect figures from Germany, but rather comes from Austria. This can be seen from the term GIS.
This abbreviation can be found in the costs used in the picture, which are not included. This is fee information service , the Alpine pedant of the German GEZ. This shows that the figure of 837 euros given above to Austria .
Payments in Austria
How much money does an asylum seeker get in Austria? The number can be found, among other things, in an article in the “ Kurier ” from 2017, in which the amount of the minimum security is given as 837 euros, in Upper Austria even 921 euros. The same value can also be found in the Vienna Minimum Standard Ordinance , § 1, (1) in conjunction with § 5 (2) point 1 :

Since the payments in Austria vary greatly and different requirements and payment amounts are set depending on the region, we refer our analysis directly to the payments for asylum seekers in Vienna, for which the minimum standard of 837 euros applies (or has applied) and the probably also meant in the Sharepic.
That sum consists of 628.32 euros basic amount and 209.44 euros housing cost share.
Under certain conditions, asylum seekers were entitled to the same payments as Austrian citizens who applied for basic benefits. But for both asylum seekers and Austrians, all life support costs had to be paid with it.
However, there is a difference: According to Section 18 (2) of the Vienna Minimum Security Act, the cash benefits can also be paid out in kind under certain circumstances, for example if it is determined that the cash benefit is not being used appropriately or this is necessary due to special circumstances of the case.
Certain requirements
Not every asylum seeker with their own accommodation received this payment, but various requirements had to be met:
As the “ Kurier ” reports, you generally have to have paid income tax in order to be entitled to the minimum income, which is probably the biggest hurdle. If you have never paid income tax, for example because you came to Austria from a third country (as is the case with asylum seekers), you must legally in Austria for at least 5 years and you must also be available for the labor market. If a job is rejected, the minimum income can be reduced by up to 50 percent.
Interim conclusion
These 837 euros were not generally available to asylum seekers (“aslyants” in the picture), but rather to Austrians and recognized asylum seekers who have already lived legally in Austria for 5 years in their own accommodation and are available to the labor market. In addition, the entire cost of living had to be covered from this sum. Calculation error in the graphic: The rent is not €0, but includes €209.44 in housing costs.
The reform of the minimum income in Austria
The attentive reader will have noticed that we often used the past tense in the above section, but there is a good reason for this: the black-blue government in Austria has presented a reform of the minimum income for asylum seekers.
Accordingly, the minimum benefit is reduced by around 300 euros if they speak little or poor German, with the exception of recognized asylum seekers with very good English. In addition, “those entitled to subsidiary protection”, i.e. asylum seekers who do not receive asylum but cannot be deported back home because they are sick or the situation at home is too unsafe, also no longer receive a minimum security, so they receive the pure basic care, which is 320 euros per month is (200 euros food + 120 euros rent).
The employee with €1200
Where does the employee's salary come from? It is difficult to find a number here, but one can assume that a low number was deliberately chosen. You can find a corresponding overview of salaries in Austria on the website of the Austrian Chamber of Labor ( here ).
The average here in 2017 was €2,400 gross, which means €1,695 in ongoing monthly salary net (excluding the 13th and 14th salaries, which is still common in Austria). To achieve a net salary of €1200 in Austria, you need a gross salary of €1460 ( see gross-net calculator ). It is also about single earners.
Payments in Germany
Since many German users also share the Sharepic, we will also take a look at the payments there.
How much money does an asylum seeker get in Germany?
This can be seen, for example, in Section 3 of the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act , and in a document from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs you can see this nicely listed in a table:

For example, asylum seekers with standard need level 1 only receive a total of 332 euros, and they have to use this money to cover their personal needs for food, clothing and smartphones.
This is well below the claimed income of 837 euros, from which nothing is supposedly deducted. If an asylum applicant is in an initial reception center, it is only 266 euros. If you live with a partner, you only receive 299 euros each, i.e. 598 euros in total for the household. In addition, benefits can also be provided in kind; a cash payment is not mandatory.
Conclusion: The information on the Sharepic refers to outdated figures from Austria, which only affected some of the asylum seekers. The comparison level also lags because a salary that is further below average was deliberately specified as a reference value. The suggestion that asylum seekers, for example, get cell phones paid for and are allowed to buses and trains for free is also wrong!
Note: This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication
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The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic.

