This claim comes up again and again: Migrants are supposed to always get a driver's license for free.
As early as 2017 it was claimed that driving schools were experiencing “a rush of asylum seekers” because driving licenses were free for them. A current report from “ Welt ”, according to which driving schools are now actually experiencing high demand from migrants, is used by the blog “ Journalenwatch ” as an opportunity to repeat the old claims and spice them up with a little indignation.
This is distributed on Facebook :

Note on the picture:
Curiously, not even a picture from Germany or neighboring countries was used for the illustration, but rather a picture of an Australian driving school!
The Australian driving school “ Onroad ” also has its own Facebook page , from which the photo comes.
The current news
Welt reports in a short article that following the influx of refugees in recent years, many migrants now want to acquire a driving license. The reason for the bottlenecks at driving schools is not only the high number of inquiries, but also a lack of qualified driving instructors.
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What is made of it
In the blog mentioned above, that message is now being distorted and reinterpreted in a populist way.
- Once again it is claimed that unemployed migrants would get a driver's license "just like that" despite the lack of prospects - which is demonstrably false, as we explain below.
- The driver's license should also be available without concrete job prospects: another false claim
- It is also claimed that even people without asylum status should get a driving license, which is also false
- Anecdotes from “driving instructors who did not want to be named” who confirmed that rejected asylum seekers would also get a driving license are not very meaningful, but rather “stories from the Paulanergarten”
- Driver's license for shooting rampages: This is what the blog implies by naming an 18-year-old Iraqi who ran over a cyclist. Consequence: Migrants would only speed if they have a driver's license
The blog bases its claims on a fact check by colleagues at “ Correctiv ”, which analyzed the claims of the “Votum24” site in October 2019. We also reported on the allegations.
When do migrants get a driving license?
The following requirements must be met:
- The asylum seeker must be recognized
- We mainly support asylum seekers who already have a driving license from Afghanistan , Syria or Iraq , which we do not recognize; In this country, they have to repeat the theoretical and practical exam
- Asylum seekers without a driving license from a third country, like Germans, can only apply for a driving license under certain conditions
- An employer must prove that a driver's license is mandatory to acquire or maintain a job
- The employer (or, in the case of unemployment, the asylum seeker) must prove that the asylum seeker has been employed subject to social security contributions for at least 12 months
The increased demand for driving licenses is due to the fact that there is now an increased number of migrants who meet exactly these requirements:
They have been working in jobs subject to social insurance contributions for 12 months and are recognized asylum seekers (otherwise they would not be able to work at all).
Recognized asylum seekers who already have a driving license from a third country only have to repeat the theoretical and practical driving test, which is much cheaper than getting a completely new driving license.
Asylum seekers without a driving license must provide proof from their (future) employer that a driving license is absolutely necessary.
In practice, if an employer issues such a certificate, he must ! An unfounded rejection or quick termination would have financial consequences or measures for the employer, for example the employment office would pay the employer less or no longer pay subsidies for its employees.
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Conclusion
Migrants still do not receive a driver’s license “for free”. It is also generally difficult for unemployed people to get a certificate from a future employer: they don't like to take the risk of having to hire someone they don't really know in principle. This applies to migrants as well as to Germans.
The costs are therefore much lower than is suggested: the chances that unemployed but recognized migrants will have their entire driving license paid for are just as high as for Germans, if not lower. Asylum seekers who already have a driving license only have to repeat the tests.
Article image: Pixabay
Further sources:
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