The German political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) submitted a request to the Federal Ministry of Labor seeking information on the most common first names of Bürgergeld (welfare benefit) recipients. This inquiry appears to aim at revealing the ethnic origins of those receiving the benefits. Data indicates that many recipients have Ukrainian first names, including Olena (14,400 recipients), Alexander (13,800 recipients, a mixed German and Ukrainian name), Anna (12,400 recipients, a mixed German and other origins name), Oleksandr (12,000 recipients), Tetiana (11,400 recipients), and Iryna (10,600 recipients). The AfD's attempt to link welfare receipt to migration background was unsuccessful in proving their claim. Meanwhile, experts from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) warn that the current Bürgergeld rates are too low, risking the minimum subsistence level and stigmatizing recipients. They call on the federal government to strengthen rather than weaken the Bürgergeld program.