ASYLUM SEEKERS IN EUROPE

Europe provides asylum seekers with everyday necessities, but limits their access to work

By The Immigrant Times*

Syrian refugee family in Sweden and Ukrainian refugees on their way to Poland and Germany (Photo Angelos Tzorzinis / AFP)

September 2025: Asylum benefits vary across Europe, but the European Union’s ‘Reception Conditions Directive’ sets common minimum standards for all applicants. These standards encompass access to housing, food, and medical care, with a particular focus on supporting vulnerable individuals. However, the specific benefits, such as cash allowances and time limits for accessing the labour market, differ significantly by country.

European Union (EU) standards

The EU's Reception Conditions Directive guarantees that member states provide the following to asylum seekers while their application is being processed:

Material support: Includes housing, food, clothing, and personal hygiene products.

Medical care: Access to essential health care services is guaranteed.

Access to work: After a maximum of six months from registering their application, asylum seekers must be allowed to access the labour market.

Education for minors: Children under 18 must be given access to education as soon as possible, or at least within two months of their application being lodged.

Special needs: Vulnerable individuals, such as unaccompanied minors, victims of torture, and people with disabilities, must be identified and receive appropriate psychological and medical support.

Benefits offered to asylum seekers in European countries

Germany

In Germany, asylum seekers receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act. The type and amount of support depend on their status and how long they have been in the country, with policies becoming stricter in recent years.

In their first 18 months, asylum seekers typically reside in reception centres, where basic needs are covered through benefits in kind. This includes accommodation, food, clothing, hygiene products, and limited healthcare.

Cash payments

While in initial centres, asylum seekers receive a reduced cash allowance for personal needs, such as public transport and telephone costs. In 2025, this allowance was approximately €177 per month for a single adult in collective housing.

In 2024, most federal states replaced the majority of cash benefits with a payment card (Bezahlkarte). This card restricts usage to local purchases and prevents cash withdrawals or money transfers abroad. The cash limit is often set at €50 per month.

After leaving the initial reception facility, the total monthly benefits for a single person who is no longer housed in collective accommodation is about €441. These payments can also be received via a payment card. Asylum seekers who have been in Germany for at least 18 months (or 36 months following a recent 2024 law change for new claimants) and are still awaiting a decision receive higher benefits, similar to other social welfare recipients.

Housing

Upon arrival, asylum seekers are housed in large, collective initial reception centres, where accommodation is compulsory for up to 18 months. These facilities provide food and basic supplies. After the initial period, individuals are distributed to municipalities where they live in smaller collective accommodations or, less commonly, in private housing.

For the duration of their asylum procedure and sometimes beyond, asylum seekers are required to live in their assigned district and have limited freedom of movement.

Healthcare

For the first 36 months, access to healthcare is limited to the treatment of acute illnesses, pain, and pregnancy-related conditions. For most treatments, individuals must apply for a health voucher (Krankenschein) from the social welfare office before visiting a doctor.

Asylum seekers who have been in Germany for 36 months are entitled to the same level of healthcare as German citizens receiving social benefits. Many receive a health card that grants them direct access to medical care without prior authorisation.

While psychiatric care is covered in acute cases, access to long-term psychotherapy is often difficult. Specialised centres and NGOs offer psychosocial support, but resources are limited. 

Integration and education

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) funds integration courses, which include language and orientation classes to help with daily life and understanding German society. Asylum seekers' children generally have the right to attend public schools, though the start time may depend on the state and local capacity.

Right to work

For the first few months, asylum seekers are not permitted to work. Restrictions ease over time, with access to vocational training and employment counselling available through the Federal Employment Agency.

Status

Rejected asylum seekers who cannot be deported for various reasons (e.g., lack of documents, health issues) may receive a Duldung, or "tolerated status," which provides access to benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act. Once asylum is approved, recognised refugees are entitled to the same social benefits as German citizens, including "citizen's benefit" (Bürgergeld), comprehensive healthcare, and work permits. 

France

In France, asylum seekers, those applying for international protection, are entitled to benefits known as Conditions Matérielles d'Accueil (CMA), or material reception conditions, during their asylum procedure. These benefits are managed by the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII).

Asylum seekers receive a daily allowance, paid monthly via a restricted payment card, which cannot be used for cash withdrawals. The amount depends on the family situation, with a single person receiving €6.80 per day (around €190 per month as of March 2019). An additional €7.40 per day may be granted to individuals who have accepted reception conditions but cannot be accommodated.

Housing

In principle, asylum seekers are entitled to accommodation provided by the OFII. However, there are fewer available spaces than asylum seekers, potentially leading to homelessness. Accommodation may be in a Centre d'Accueil pour Demandeurs d'Asile (CADA) or emergency accommodation (Hébergement d'Urgence pour Demandeurs d'Asile, HUDA).

Healthcare

Asylum seekers are entitled to health insurance through the universal health protection system (Protection Universelle Maladie, PUMa), generally after three months of residency in France (exceptions exist for minors). Those with low income may also qualify for supplementary health insurance (Complémentaire Santé Solidaire, CSS), which covers additional costs.

Right to work

Asylum seekers have the right to work in France six months after submitting their application if the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) has not yet made a decision. 

Sweden

In Sweden, asylum benefits provide financial assistance, accommodation, and healthcare to asylum seekers who lack their own resources while their case is being processed. The amount and type of support depend on whether the asylum seeker is housed in a government centre or private accommodation. Different benefit structures apply for recognised refugees with a residence permit.

The Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) provides financial and material support during the asylum application period, provided the applicant has no other assets. 

Asylum seekers who cannot support themselves receive a daily allowance via a bank card.

Housing

Asylum seekers can either live in reception centres provided by the Migration Agency or arrange their own housing. Housing in reception centres typically consists of shared rooms, though families are given their own rooms.

All asylum seekers are entitled to emergency medical and dental care, or care that cannot wait ("vård som inte kan anstå"). Children under 18 receive the same healthcare and dental care as other children in Sweden.

Grants

Asylum seekers can apply for one-off grants to cover essential, necessary costs that they cannot afford, such as winter clothing or infant equipment. 

Status

Once granted a residence permit, refugees and individuals with subsidiary protection status have the same rights to social welfare as Swedish citizens. The Migration Agency's support ends, and beneficiaries access a different system of benefits aimed at integration.

Integration

Newly arrived, working-age refugees participate in an establishment program run by the Public Employment Service. The program can last up to 24 months and includes language courses, civics education, and activities to help them find work. Participants in the establishment program receive a daily benefit. The amount is reduced if they earn income from work. After completing the establishment program, refugees who cannot support themselves can apply for social welfare from their municipality. 

Changes to come

Recent and upcoming changes to Sweden's policies may affect access to benefits for certain groups. Starting in January 2027, new non-EU immigrants, but not refugees with international protection, may be excluded from many forms of social assistance for the first five years of residency.

Beginning in 2026, the government is proposing significantly higher cash incentives for certain migrants with residency rights who voluntarily return to their home countries.

United Kingdom

(Outside the EU)

In the UK, asylum benefits are provided by the Home Office (Interior Ministry) to those who are destitute while their asylum claim is being considered. They are not eligible for mainstream welfare benefits until they are officially granted refugee status.

Section 95

Asylum seekers who are destitute and waiting for a decision on their claim can apply for Section 95 support from the Home Office. They will be provided with somewhere to live, typically outside London and southeast England, under a "dispersal" policy. Asylum seekers do not have a choice over the location. Housing can be a flat, a house, a hostel, or bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

Cash benefits

A weekly allowance is loaded onto a debit card, known as an ASPEN card, which can be used to pay for essentials or withdraw cash. The standard rate is £49.18 per person per week. This is reduced to £9.95 per person per week if accommodations provide meals.

Healthcare

Asylum seekers have free access to National Health Service (NHS) healthcare, including GP services, hospital treatment, prescriptions, dental and eye care.

Right to work

In most cases, asylum seekers are not permitted to work while their claim is being considered. Limited exceptions apply if a claim has been pending for more than 12 months with no fault of the applicant, and the job is on the Immigration Salary List

Families with children

The eligibility rules are different for families with children. If asylum seekers have dependent children, Section 95 support may not stop, even if their asylum claim is refused.

*Sources: European Union Agency for Asylum (euaa); Editorialge; Visaverge;

Further reading: Europe's approach to housing asylum seekers || European Migration and Asylum Pact ||

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