Düsseldorf significantly cuts aid for undocumented people – STAY! Medinetz warns of restrictions in care

In Düsseldorf's 2026 budget, the funds for STAY! Medinetz are set to decrease noticeably. The initiative supports people without health insurance and individuals without secure residency status in accessing medical care. According to the association, a cut would not only affect individual services, but would weaken the overall functionality of a support system that has been established for years.

The city council of Düsseldorf will address the 2026 budget in mid-March. The budget proposals for STAY! Medinetz foresee reducing the funds previously allocated for the emergency fund, clearing office, and overhead from the most recent 215,000 euros to a total of 160,000 euros – a decrease of about one third.

The cut affects both the emergency fund and the clearing office

So far, according to the current proposals, 120,000 euros have been allocated to the emergency fund. Another 95,000 euros were earmarked for staff at the clearing office and organizational costs. In the 2026 budget, both components are to receive only 160,000 euros together.

This structure is crucial for practical work: According to the association, the emergency fund finances specific medical services – from medications to surgeries. The clearing office is also the interface through which affected individuals are referred for treatment in the first place and receive support in clarifying responsibilities. If cuts are made in both areas simultaneously, not only does the "pot" for treatments shrink, but also the capacity to accompany cases at all.

An offer with history – and political ties

STAY! Medinetz has been operating in Düsseldorf since 2009. What initially was largely supported by civil society and volunteers received a more structured foundation from 2015 onwards with a city-supported clearing office and an emergency fund. This made the model more predictable: Cases could not only be solved "somehow," but through more reliable processes, contacts, and at least partially secured funding.

What the cut could mean for those affected

The association warns that with less money in the emergency fund, inevitably more people would have to be turned away or treatments would not take place – especially where costs quickly become high, such as with surgeries. As an example, the association cited an acute case where surgery for glaucoma might be necessary; without secured cost coverage, the treatment would be at risk according to this account. In such cases, clinics regularly require binding cost clarification in advance before performing planned procedures.

At the same time, the cut affects the clearing office itself. If staff positions or hours are reduced, this can limit the number of cases that can be accompanied – even if doctors are generally willing to help. In practice, it is often the combination of referral, organization, cost clarification, and support that enables access to care in the first place.

There is also a hurdle that already affects many of those concerned: People without secure residency status often avoid medical facilities out of fear of consequences, data sharing, or contact with authorities. The legal framework and official interfaces are complex – but the decisive factor is the effect: Even the uncertainty about what "could happen" during a doctor's visit leads to illnesses often being treated very late. A reduction in low-threshold services increases this risk.

Austerity in the overall budget: Why here of all places?

The cut is embedded in a broader consolidation course. Düsseldorf is working with a total budget volume of around 4.4 billion euros for 2026 and is formally using reserves to balance the budget. The city has also made it clear that further consolidations on a significant scale will be necessary for a structurally balanced budget in the future. Against this background, even comparatively small funding items come under political pressure – especially because, in total, they can become part of a large savings package.

From the CDU-Green coalition, it was also signaled in connection with the budget discussions that 2027 could be even more difficult and further savings should be examined. According to its own account, STAY! Medinetz criticizes that the cut comes as a surprise and without warning. Representatives of the coalition, on the other hand, have pointed out that debates about cuts in the municipal budget are recurring and that organizations could adjust to changed proposals at an early stage.

The decision in the council – and its consequences

With the budget decision, the council determines whether Düsseldorf will continue to support the emergency fund and clearing office to the same extent as before or accept a significantly lower level. For STAY! Medinetz, it is not just a single budget line that is up for a vote, but the question of how reliable the municipal support for an offer remains that is aimed at people who often fall through the cracks in the regular system.

For those affected, this debate has an immediate dimension: Whether a treatment is organized, medication is financed, or a procedure is made possible often depends on exactly these structures – and on whether they are politically considered dispensable or a necessary part of local health care in Düsseldorf.