File Photo: The National Flag of Germany in front of the Bundestag building - Parliament of Germany
Berlin, Germany:
Germany's Parliament has unanimously approved a measure extending pension payments for thousands of elderly Jews who were forced to work for the Nazis in ghettos.
The Jewish Claims Conference, which helped negotiate the deal with the government, said the new deal passed Thursday means some 40,000 Holocaust survivors will soon be able to receive benefits back-dated to 1997.
That's the year Germany began recognizing work in ghettos as eligible for pension payments. Until now, recipients have only received payments backdated to four years from when they applied.
During World War II, the Nazis made widespread use of Jews, primarily non-Germans, in ghettos as laborers in exchange for food or meager wages.
The proposal was introduced by Labor Minister Andrea Nahles, who has promised payments would be made "swiftly and efficiently."
The Jewish Claims Conference, which helped negotiate the deal with the government, said the new deal passed Thursday means some 40,000 Holocaust survivors will soon be able to receive benefits back-dated to 1997.
That's the year Germany began recognizing work in ghettos as eligible for pension payments. Until now, recipients have only received payments backdated to four years from when they applied.
During World War II, the Nazis made widespread use of Jews, primarily non-Germans, in ghettos as laborers in exchange for food or meager wages.
The proposal was introduced by Labor Minister Andrea Nahles, who has promised payments would be made "swiftly and efficiently."
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
