Over 17 Thousand Croats in Germany Receive Unemployment Assistance

At the end of 2017, 16,924 Croatian citizens in Germany were receiving financial assistance for the long-term unemployed, which is an increase of 1.8 percent compared to the previous year, the Federal Employment Agency announced on Friday.

Long-term unemployed individuals holding Croatian passports account for 0.3 percent of the total number of nearly six million recipients of assistance, the Agency for Labor reported in response to Hina’s inquiry.

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The assistance for the long-term unemployed, popularly known as Hartz IV, is received by all unemployed and employable citizens, distinguishing it from social assistance intended for the non-working population. A total of 5,933,000 citizens receive this assistance, of which 2,033,000 (35 percent) are foreign passport holders.

The largest number (about one million) consists of individuals who have come to Germany as refugees in recent years. Among them, Syrian citizens lead with 588,000, followed by citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The assistance for the long-term unemployed amounts to 416 euros, and in addition, financial support for housing and child benefits must also be added. Among recipients from the new EU member states, Bulgarian (86,000) and Romanian (66,000) citizens are the most numerous, with their numbers increasing each year.

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In terms of the number of long-term unemployed from the Western Balkans, Serbian citizens lead with 54,000 recipients, followed by citizens of Kosovo (27,000) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (15,636).

Germany recently changed the law regarding unemployment support for EU citizens, which now grants individuals the right to assistance only after five years of residence in Germany.