The highest court in Germany has ruled that the government must increase the benefits paid to asylum-seekers by 50 percent.

The Constitutional Court determined that the current level benefits paid out , €224 ($274) per month, was inadequate and did not meet the standards of a "humane subsistence level."

"The Basic Law guarantees subsistence-level support for a life in decent conditions as a human right," the court said.

"This basic right applies to German citizens and foreign citizens living in Germany in equal measure."

The ruling means that the estimated 130,000 asylum-seekers in Germany will be receiving €336 per month, although that figure remains below the €374 figure paid out to German citizens in need.

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