Bump in Discrimination Cases: Record 11,400 Reported in 2024, Breaking Previous Records
Peak in Demand: Seekers Reach Maximum Level (Discrimination) - Excessive Hiring Limit Reached for Consultants
Hey there! What's up? You're in for a read about some not-so-great numbers—a record number, in fact. In a report presented by Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Ferda Ataman in Berlin, it was revealed that 11,400 individuals reached out to the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency last year due to experiences with discrimination. This figure is the highest the agency's ever seen.
"This is unprecedented," as Ataman put it. In 2023, around 10,800 seekers approached the agency, and the pre-Corona year 2019 recorded only slightly over 4,200 requests. The number of requests has nearly doubled since 2019, with a stark increase evident.
The majority of the reported cases were related to experiences with racism
In 2024, racism-related experiences accounted for 43% of the requests. As an example, Ataman mentioned a man with a foreign name who had been on a lengthy apartment hunt in Wuppertal but was consistently ignored for viewings. "His friend Stefan applies for the same apartment and gets an immediate viewing invite. Looks like 'Mahmoud's place' was supposedly already taken," Ataman shared.
Disadvantages due to a disability or chronic illness accounted for 27% of cases, while 24% of cases involved gender or gender identity. "We can see that women are significantly affected by discrimination based on gender, and these numbers are on the rise."
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Workplace was the setting for the majority of reported discrimination incidents.
Ataman questions gaps in legal anti-discrimination protection
Over 1,200 people reported discrimination experiences with state institutions, such as offices and authorities or the police, according to the report. However, in these cases, there's no discrimination protection under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), as Ataman pointed out. To change this, the AGG must be reformed, she believes. "People in Germany are better protected from discrimination in a restaurant than at the office," Ataman argued.
Of the 11,405 requests received by the agency last year, slightly over 9,000 cases fell under the AGG. The remaining requests did not qualify for protection under this law. "Not every unequal treatment is a violation here," Ataman explained.
Nationality not officially recognized as a discrimination factor
For years, Ataman and other commissioners, like the Anti-Semitism Commissioner Felix Klein, have been advocating for an expansion of the AGG, such as including protection against discrimination based on nationality. As of now, there's no specific mention of nationality as a protected characteristic under the AGG. To fully protect individuals against such discrimination, changes or updates to the AGG might be necessary. Recent sources, however, do not suggest any imminent steps in this direction.
- The record-breaking number of 11,400 cases reported to the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency in 2024 indicate a significant need for reform in the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), especially since over 1,200 people experienced discrimination with state institutions where there's currently no protection under this law.
- The stark increase in discrimination cases, particularly in the workplace, emphasizes the importance of revising the AGG to ensure protection against discrimination based on nationality, a factor not yet officially recognized in current laws, following the advocacy of commissioners like Ferda Ataman and Felix Klein.
