The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia has dropped the promise made in its coalition agreement to introduce free meals for all children in daycare centers for the time being, but still has the highest net expenditure of any state on asylum seeker benefits.
“The state government currently sees no possibility of introducing a free lunch for all pupils beyond the existing support measures of the education and participation package and the hardship fund, ‘All children eat together,'” the government said in its formal reply to a parliamentary inquiry by the SPD parliamentary group.
In their coalition agreement, the CDU and the Greens committed to working toward free meals in daycare centers, TAG24 reported. “We aim for free meals in daycare centers and will gradually relieve parents of meal fees depending on their income,” the agreement stated. It also promised to make the third year of kindergarten before starting school free of charge throughout North Rhine-Westphalia.
The state government now says budget constraints and numerous construction projects in daycare facilities mean the plans are unlikely to be implemented during the current legislative period.
Instead, the government said it allocates around €1 million annually through the hardship fund “All children eat together.” The fund is aimed at children and young people who require communal meals in daycare centers, schools, or after-school care facilities, but who do not qualify for support under the Education and Participation Package despite being in need.
“All existing needs have been met,” the government said. “Should the number of applications increase, additional needs can be met within the framework of available budgetary resources.”
The decision comes against the backdrop of North Rhine-Westphalia’s long-established position as Germany’s largest net spender on asylum seekers. Data from Destatis, cited by the Federal Agency for Civic Education, show that in 2024, the most recent annual figures available, the state spent €1.12 billion net on asylum seeker benefits. North Rhine-Westphalia has been the biggest spending state in this category every year since 2014, with the exception of 2018.
At the national level, Destatis data show that the largest component of asylum seeker benefits in 2024 was basic benefits that primarily cover accommodation, food, heating, and clothing, as well as consumer goods, which are generally provided in kind.
These figures relate only to benefits issued from the state budget, not the federal one. At a federal level, Germany spent €47 billion on social welfare benefits in 2024 — not including accommodation and healthcare expenses — and 63.5 percent of recipients were non-citizens.
Similarly, nearly half of Germany’s €17.68 billion in housing support for 2024 was paid out to foreigners.
