Düsseldorf cuts aid for undocumented refugees: STAY! Medinetz warns of consequences

In Düsseldorf's 2026 budget, funding for STAY! Medinetz is set to decrease significantly. The city council will discuss the budget on Thursday, March 19. According to the initiative, the previous funding of 215,000 euros will be reduced by about a third to 160,000 euros. STAY! warns that this would mean fewer medical treatments for people without health insurance and without secure residency status would be possible—in individual cases with serious health consequences.

What the cut specifically means for STAY!

According to its own statements, STAY! has been supporting refugees and people without health insurance in Düsseldorf in accessing medical care since 2009. In the early years, the work was carried out exclusively on a voluntary basis. Since 2015, the city has co-financed a clearing center and an emergency fund to coordinate cases and pay for treatments in acute situations.

So far, according to STAY!, the project had 120,000 euros available for medical services (such as treatments, medications, operations) and 95,000 euros for personnel and overheads—a total of 215,000 euros. In the 2026 budget draft, the funds are set at 160,000 euros.

For the initiative, this is not just a mathematical adjustment. STAY! explains that with a smaller budget, they will have to decide more often which cases can still be taken on—with the result that more people would be turned away and individual, costly procedures would no longer be affordable. In addition, it is unclear how the positions in the clearing center can be secured under the new conditions.

STAY! also criticizes that the cut came as a surprise and was not announced early. This makes it difficult to plan a service that relies on reliability—especially when it comes to acute illnesses.

Why the clearing center is important for those affected

The clearing center's task is to advise and support people without health insurance or without secure residency status so that medical care becomes accessible at all—in the lowest-threshold way possible and anonymously if desired. In practice, this often concerns people who live in Düsseldorf and have organized their everyday lives here for years, but whose legal and social security is incomplete.

At the latest in the case of a serious illness, a chronic diagnosis, or a pregnancy, this gap can become existentially threatening.

A central obstacle is the fear of discovery of the lack of residency status. STAY! describes that those affected avoid doctor visits or hospital stays because they fear consequences. Legally, the situation is complex: reporting and transmission obligations mainly affect authorities and the exchange of data between public bodies. At the same time, uncertainty or misunderstandings about responsibilities can already lead people to seek treatment too late—and illnesses worsen until they become emergencies.

The emergency fund is intended to close exactly this gap when no regular cost coverage applies. STAY! refers to current cases where help depends on written cost approval. As an example, the initiative mentions a patient with glaucoma who is at risk of going blind; an operation will only take place if the financing is clarified in advance.

The cut is part of a larger budget conflict

The cut at STAY! is part of a broader debate about priorities in the municipal budget. Before the council's decision, it is foreseeable that various social and cultural organizations will have to expect less funding. Thus, at STAY! it is not just a matter of a subsidy item, but of the question of how far Düsseldorf supports a service that catches people who fall through the regular health system.

The CDU-Green coalition justifies the austerity measures with the strained budget situation. Mirja Cordes (Greens) pointed out in a joint press conference on Wednesday, March 11, that cuts and discussions are not happening for the first time; organizations could have anticipated how support might develop. At the same time, the coalition announced that the situation could become even more difficult in 2027—further savings options are being examined.

For STAY! and those affected, the decision thus boils down to a concrete question: Is the reduced sum sufficient to operate the emergency fund and the clearing center so that treatment, medication, or operations can still be provided in acute cases in the future—or will aid in Düsseldorf become noticeably tighter, especially for those who already have hardly any access to care?