The German government on Wednesday approved a new law to curb social benefits for EU citizens who arrive in the country without a job, as it responds to pressure to get tough on migrants.
Under the draft legislation, which still needs to go through parliament, EU nationals who have never worked in Germany will have to wait five years before they can claim benefits.
The strict new measure comes after a federal court ruled last year that every EU citizen had the right to claim benefits once he or she had resided in Germany for six months.
The ruling sparked fears of "welfare tourism" from countries with a lower standard of living, and angered German municipalities who were already struggling with the financial burden of caring for last year's record influx of migrants and refugees.
"It's clear that anyone who lives here, works here and pays their contributions is also entitled to the benefits of our social system," said Labour Minister Andrea Nahles after the cabinet adopted the legislation.
But for those "who have never worked here and rely on state financial aid to survive, the principle applies that they should claim livelihood benefits from their home country."
The government is keen to show it has heard voters' concerns over migration, as growing opposition to Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door policy has fuelled support for the populist, anti-migrant AfD party.
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