Eye-Opener 2024: Discrimination Inquiries Soar to Record Highs
- Maximized Consultant Count: Reaches Predefined Limit
Here's the lowdown on the latest report from the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency: a whopping 11,400+ individuals reached out for help, marking the highest number ever! Our gal, Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Ferda Ataman, spilled the beans during a presentation in Berlin.
"We've never seen such high numbers," laughing through gritted teeth, Ataman shared. In 2023, it was around 10,800, and in 2019—pre-Corona—only a smidge over 4,200 inquiries were made, she revealed. That's more than double the number since 2019, Ataman hammered home.
So, what's causing all this fuss? Turns out, most of the flare-ups relate to the delightful pursuit of racism. In 2024, such incidents made up 43% of all inquiries. Case in point: a foreign-named gent searching for an apartment in Wuppertal for months, never nabbing a peek inside. When his buddy Stefan threw his hat in the ring for the exact same place, he scored an invitation pronto. Meanwhile, ol' Mahmoud was given the cold shoulder, Ataman reported.
The second most common reason for complaints was being shortchanged due to a disability or chronic illness, clocking in at 27%. Almost a quarter of the cases (24%) were gender/identity-related, with women hit particularly hard. "Ladies are becoming increasingly vulnerable to gender-based discrimination, and these numbers are on the rise," Ataman pointed out.
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The vast majority of discrimination took place at work, i.e., during job hunting or on the job (33%).
Ataman lashes out at gaps in federal anti-discrimination legislation
More than 1,200 folks whined about experiencing discrimination from state institutions, such as offices, authorities, or the police, according to the report. However, and here's the kicker—no discrimination protection under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) is in place for such instances, Ataman clarified. In her view, a much-needed AGG revamp could change that. "People are better protected from discrimination in a restaurant than at the office," she summed up woefully.
Of the 11,405 inquiries the agency received last year, slightly over 9,000 fit under AGG jurisdiction. The remaining complaints didn't meet the AGG's discrimination protection criteria. "You don't have to be a genius to realize that not every unfair treatment is illegal," Ataman declared.
Citizenship still a no-go when it comes to discrimination protection
The AGG safeguards against discriminatory treatment based on factors like age, disability, gender, religion, and—you guessed it—racial or ethnic background. For years, Ataman and other commissioners, like Anti-Semitism Commissioner Felix Klein, have pushed for an AGG expansion to protect folks who face discrimination due to their citizenship.
But hang on, you might ask—why isn't citizenship recognized as a basis for discrimination in the current AGG? Well, without digging into the nitty-gritty, it seems that the AGG primarily aims to protect individuals from discrimination based on the aforementioned criteria. However, nationality sometimes overlaps with ethnic or racial discrimination, which are recognized categories.
In lots of legal systems, sorting nationality from other protected characteristics might be a bit tricky. Although citizenship isn't explicitly listed as a protected characteristic, discrimination based on nationality can often be addressed under broader headings like ethnic origin or race, depending on the situation and the interpretation of the law. For a thorough understanding, consult specific legal texts or expert analyses on German anti-discrimination laws.
Community policy discussions are essential to address the rising discrimination cases in employment, as revealed by the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency report showing an all-time high of 11,405 inquiries in 2024. Moreover, politics should focus on revising the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) to provide broader protection against discrimination in interactions with state institutions, a gap that was evident with 1,200 complaints last year.
