Germany is doing very little to fight poverty in the country

2024-03-20 09:40:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Germany is doing very little to fight poverty in the country

Illustrative photo

A Council of Europe report on Germany's social policy does not give the country a good grade. In the report, the Council of Europe calls for more efforts to fight poverty, problems with homelessness and people with disabilities.

The high level of poverty and social disadvantage is disproportionate to the country's wealth, the report says. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic welcomed the measures taken by the German government, such as reforming the social system to make it more accessible, increase social security benefits and provide more training opportunities for the unemployed. However, further efforts are needed to combat "growing inequality".

The fight against racism

Poverty is a big problem, especially for children, the elderly and the disabled. Decisive steps are needed to break the cycle of child poverty, the report says. Children's rights should also be strengthened and coordinated with a central authority. Otherwise, the needs of children and young people would be overlooked in political decisions - such as during the corona pandemic. Also, action should be taken against the high rate of poverty among the elderly. Special attention should therefore be paid to growing racism, which has the potential to undermine social cohesion and destabilize democratic institutions, the report says.

Berlin said the federal government is "currently working on a new strategy" with a "comprehensive approach" that should include both "repressive" and "preventive" approaches. "Fighting the phenomenon of homelessness with all means" indicated the increase in the number of people who do not have a roof over their heads. Mijatovic is worried. Unfortunately, there is only limited recognition of the right to housing as a human right for all. To prevent and eliminate homelessness, comprehensive and long-term measures are needed. Germany must use all available means, including interventions in the housing market and changes in the housing market.

Concerns of the authorities

The federal government stated that it agrees with the Commissioner's "concerns about the growing number of homeless people in Germany". At the same time, it is said that for the first time it has been decided to approve a national action plan for overcoming the problem of homelessness. The plan aims to help overcome the problem of homelessness by 2030.

The Council of Europe was founded in 1949 to protect democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe. The EC is independent from the European Union and includes 46 European countries. The report published now follows a visit by Mijatovic to Germany at the end of last year. She met with ministers and federal representatives at the local and civil society levels./ DW