DOCSLIB.ORG

Racism, Xenophobia and Ethnic Discrimination in Germany 2007

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Racism, Xenophobia and Ethnic Discrimination in Germany 2007 ® RACISM, XENOPHOBIA AND ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION IN GERMANY 2007 european forum for migration studies (efms) Authors Nicole Bosch, Mario Peucker, Stefanie Reiter assisted by Dr. Klaus Michael Alenfelder and Barbara Schneider Bamberg, July 2008 Table of content Executive Summary ..........................................................................3 A. Legal issues .....................................................................8 A.1. Brief overview.................................................................................8 A.2. New legislative provisions...........................................................10 A.3 Statistical data and tables ...........................................................19 A.4. Case law........................................................................................21 A.5. Good practice ...............................................................................22 B. Racist violence and crime.............................................27 B.1. New criminal legislation...............................................................27 B.2. Complaints mechanisms: abuse of police power .....................27 B.3. Brief overview...............................................................................28 B.4 Official data and information.......................................................29 B.5. Unofficial data and information...................................................39 B.6. Good practice ...............................................................................45 C. Key areas of social life..................................................54 C.1. Employment..................................................................................54 C.2. Education......................................................................................72 C.4. Housing.........................................................................................93 C.5. Health and social care ...............................................................108 Annex ……………………………………………………...…….....136 2 Executive Summary Legal issues Since its introduction in August 2006, the first German anti-discrimination law, the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) has had only little impact on litigation; nevertheless the new Act seems to have contributed (directly or indirectly) to positive changes in the struggle against ethnic discrimination in two ways: The AGG has had a positive impact on the organisational landscape of anti- discrimination work in Germany: The government installed the required specialised equality body Antidiskriminierungsstelle (ADS), new non- governmental anti-discrimination organisations have been set up, already existing ones have sought to bundle their expertise and professionalize their work and new internal complain bodies have been installed within companies as required by the AGG. For the first time ever in Germany, data on court cases and complaints of discrimination, registered by the federal equality body ADS, have been published. According to labour court statistics in the state of Baden- Württemberg and the preliminary data on complaints released by the ADS, discrimination on the grounds of ethnic origin was recorded in about 10 to 15 per cent of all registered cases of discrimination, surpassed by discrimination on the grounds of age, sex and disability. It remains very difficult to make empirically defendable statement on the application of criminal law due to lacking court statistics. Although no new legislation on racist violence has been passed, it noteworthy that three Ester German Länder have presented a joint bill in the Upper House which aims at introducing the hate crime concept into German criminal law. Racist violence and crimes In 2006, the police registered the highest number of politically motivated right- wing crimes since the introduction of the new police registration system in 2001. In particular, the number of xenophobic right-wing crimes increased drastically; this holds for propaganda offences, cases of incitement to hatred as well as for violent crimes. This strong increase is confirmed by unofficial statistics on right-wing attacks jointly compiled by several victim support organisations in East Germany. 3 In contrast to the official figures on xenophobic crimes, the police recorded slightly less anti-Semitic – violent and non-violent – crimes in 2006. Data on Islamophobic or anti-Roma offences are still lacking. The Federal Ministry of the Interior as well as several NGOs assumed that the success of the right-wing extremist party NPD in the state election in Mecklenburg-west Pomerania has spurred the right-wing scene and thus partly explains the strong rise in xenophobic violence and crimes in 2006. In 2007, the Federal Government launched two major support programmes to promote projects against right-wing extremism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism: • The programme ‚Diversity feels good. Youth for Diversity, Tolerance and Democracy’ (annual budget of € 19 million) supports primarily local and regional awareness raising initiatives that follow a preventive, educational approach. • With an annual budget of € 5 million the programme ‘Support of counselling networks – mobile intervention against right-wing extremism’ supports networks and projects that follow a more interventionist approach, in particular when local actors require external professional assistance to deal with right-wing extremist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic developments. Employment The release of statistics based on findings of the 2005 micro census has lead to significant progress concerning data on the situation of migrants in employment. The micro census applied for the first time a complex indicator of the respondents’ migration backgrounds taking into consideration three variables, namely the nationality, migration history and naturalisation of the respondent as well as of his/her parents. Selected findings from official data are the following: The unemployment rate of foreigners is more than twice as high as the unemployment rate of Germans. Comparing the unemployment rate of ethnic German migrants, foreigners and Germans, ethnic Germans have the highest unemployment rate. For Germans and foreigners, the risk of being unemployed decreases with a higher educational attainment. Foreigners are more often employed in branches with a lower income and less favourable working conditions and less often employed in highly skilled professions with a higher prestige. Despite several indicators for perceived discrimination and the clear disparities between Germans and foreigners, there is only little empirical evidence for discrimination of migrants on the German labour market. A recently released empirical research study, however, underscored the difficulties and lower 4 chances of migrants in finding a job after having completed their dual apprenticeship. The new General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) obliges employers to implement anti-discrimination mechanisms which prevent any forms of direct and indirect discrimination and support victims of discrimination. It is difficult to assess how effectively the requirements of the AGG (one year after it came into force) have been put into practice by companies The Federal Government supports diversity strategies of companies by launching the nationwide campaign ‘Diversity as a Chance’. The campaign aims at raising awareness amongst public and private employers for the economic potentials of diversity. Education Migrants and foreigners continue to occupy, on average, a clearly disadvantaged position in the educational system. The causes for these educational disparities are manifold and complex: studies indicate a high impact of the social and family background that translates into educational disparities. The studies also emphasise the high impact of German language problems on the educational achievement of migrant children. Thus, the educational system, especially the early streaming after forth grade, has been subject to ongoing criticism as it does not succeed in levelling out the initiate differences between migrants and non-migrants. It remains difficult to make a defendable statement on the extent and mechanism of discrimination in the educational system. Complaints on discrimination, however, indicate that perceived discrimination against migrants does occur in the field of education. A recent research study of the German Youth Institute found that perceived discrimination and subsequent tendencies of re-ethnisation have a negative impact on migrants’ access to apprenticeship and employment. Support measures for migrant children have been expanded over the last years, especially with regard to German language support measures. A special focus is laid on pre-school education. The National Integration Plan announces the implementation of a general concept for education in early childhood which shall especially consider the needs of children with a migration background. Furthermore, the National Integration Plan announces the support of further education of teachers and educators with regard to a multicultural and multilingual environment and promotes a stronger involvement of parents within support measures aiming to improve the educational achievement of migrant children. 5 Housing The results of a recently conducted discrimination testing study by the NGO Planerladen indicate that the access to housing is limited for foreigners: For persons with a Turkish sounding name fewer flats were available after initial contact with
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Commander's Guide to German Society, Customs, and Protocol
    Headquarters Army in Europe United States Army, Europe, and Seventh Army Pamphlet 360-6* United States Army Installation Management Agency Europe Region Office Heidelberg, Germany 20 September 2005 Public Affairs Commanders Guide to German Society, Customs, and Protocol *This pamphlet supersedes USAREUR Pamphlet 360-6, 8 March 2000. For the CG, USAREUR/7A: E. PEARSON Colonel, GS Deputy Chief of Staff Official: GARY C. MILLER Regional Chief Information Officer - Europe Summary. This pamphlet should be used as a guide for commanders new to Germany. It provides basic information concerning German society and customs. Applicability. This pamphlet applies primarily to commanders serving their first tour in Germany. It also applies to public affairs officers and protocol officers. Forms. AE and higher-level forms are available through the Army in Europe Publishing System (AEPUBS). Records Management. Records created as a result of processes prescribed by this publication must be identified, maintained, and disposed of according to AR 25-400-2. Record titles and descriptions are available on the Army Records Information Management System website at https://www.arims.army.mil. Suggested Improvements. The proponent of this pamphlet is the Office of the Chief, Public Affairs, HQ USAREUR/7A (AEAPA-CI, DSN 370-6447). Users may suggest improvements to this pamphlet by sending DA Form 2028 to the Office of the Chief, Public Affairs, HQ USAREUR/7A (AEAPA-CI), Unit 29351, APO AE 09014-9351. Distribution. B (AEPUBS) (Germany only). 1 AE Pam 360-6 ● 20 Sep 05 CONTENTS Section I INTRODUCTION 1. Purpose 2. References 3. Explanation of Abbreviations 4. General Section II GETTING STARTED 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Top 17 Cases Version 4/27/2020, with Addendum
    2020 DNA Hit of the Year Top 17 Cases Version 4/27/2020, with Addendum * All addenda written by submitters. 1. Headless Outlaw’s Torso in Old Lava Tube Name of Submitter: Clark County Sheriff Bart May Location: Dubois, Idaho, U.S.A. Agency: Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Date of Crime: 1916 Date and Type of Hit: 2018-2019 (genetic genealogy to match with general family tree); 2018-2019 (familial match with living grandson to confirm family relationship) Executive Summary: 100-year-old unidentified human remains found in an old lava tube in 1979 leads to a cold case identification effort that lasts many years. However, his head was never located, baffling the FBI and other investigators for years. They could only establish that he was of European descent, with reddish-brown hair, and was about 40-years-old at the time of death. His arms, hand, and legs were found in 1991. Over the years, investigators enlisted the help of Idaho State University and its team of forensic genetic genealogists (anthropology students and staffers). This also included experts from the Smithsonian Institution and the FBI. Last year investigators further enlisted the help of the DNA Doe Project, hoping to use DNA and ancestral analysis to identify the man. Experts from Othram, a forensic DNA analysis company, analyzed samples taken from the remains, while a forensic genealogist from the DNA Doe Project worked with her colleagues to build a ‘genealogical tree’. The man’s DNA profile was then uploaded to various genetic genealogy DNA databases for relatives. This led to the man’s living 87-year-old grandson, whose sample was taken and tested to confirm a familial relationship.
    [Show full text]
  • EXPLOITING OUR STRENGTHS Corporate Report 2013
    Annual Report 2013 EXPLOITING OUR STRENGTHS Corporate Report 2013 In a European context, residential real estate in Germany is an attractive market. ON SOLID GROUND > PAGE 4 At Deutsche Annington, we invest continuously in the fabric of our buildings, thus placing our success on solid foundations. CARRYING OUR Values successFULLY INTO THE FUTURE Our clear performance aspirations give us > PAGE 8 solid orientation in our daily business. OUR Focus > PAGE 2 As a service provider, we want to know what concerns our tenants so that we can swiftly respond to their needs. CLOSE TO THE custoMER > PAGE 12 We address society’s current issues and problems and deliver solutions. WE SHOW RESPONSIBILITY > PAGE 16 In the past, we have created excellent foundations on which to continue building the company’s long-term success. STRONG FOR THE FUTURE > PAGE 20 JANUARY JULY OCTOBER Deutsche Annington Immobilien SE concludes complete refinancing through successful bond issues in Europe Project kick-off Initial listing on and the USA IPO the German Stock Exchange Successful refi- nancing of GRAND securitisation. First bond issue FEBRUARY JUNE NOVEMBER Expansion of care- We join the Charta Best Vocational taker organisation der Vielfalt Training Enter- completed (Diversity Charter) prise award organisation SEPTEMBER Pars pro toto: Nine million euro investment at the Dortmund location In 2013 we achieved a lot! Thanks to the successful IPO and refi nancing and the continuing development of our operational performance we have further reinforced our leadership role on the German residential real estate market. What is more, by successfully increasing our economic room for manoeuvre and establishing a stable income base, we now have every chance of growing our business in the long term.
    [Show full text]
  • Contemporary German Literature Collection) Brian Vetruba Washington University in St Louis, [email protected]
    Washington University in St. Louis Washington University Open Scholarship University Libraries Publications University Libraries 2015 Twenty-ninth Annual Bibliography 2015 (Contemporary German Literature Collection) Brian Vetruba Washington University in St Louis, [email protected] Paul Michael Lützeler Washington University in St. Louis, [email protected] Katharina Böhm Washington University in St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/lib_papers Part of the German Literature Commons, and the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Vetruba, Brian; Lützeler, Paul Michael; and Böhm, Katharina, "Twenty-ninth Annual Bibliography 2015 (Contemporary German Literature Collection)" (2015). University Libraries Publications. 20. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/lib_papers/20 This Bibliography is brought to you for free and open access by the University Libraries at Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in University Libraries Publications by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Max Kade Center for Contemporary German Literature Max Kade Zentrum für deutschsprachige Gegenwartsliteratur Director: Paul Michael Lützeler Twenty-ninth Annual Bibliography 2015 Editor: Brian W. Vetruba Editorial Assistant: Katharina Böhm February 28, 2017 Washington University in St. Louis Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures Max Kade Center
    [Show full text]
  • Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law
    MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR FOREIGN AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW COUNTERTERRORISM POLICIES IN GERMANY* HANS-JÖRG ALBRECHT Contents: 1. Introduction into Experiences with Terrorism and the Development of Counterterrorism Strategies in Germany................................................................... 2 1.1 Terrorist Phenomena in Germany........................................................................ 2 1.2 Responses to Terrorist Activities and Organizations between 1970 and 2000.... 5 2. After 9/11 Counterterrorism Strategies ...................................................................... 44 2.1 Introduction........................................................................................................ 44 2.2 Counterterrorism Policy after 9/11 .................................................................... 49 2.3 The Flow of Legislation after 9/11 .................................................................... 50 2.4 Dangerousness and incapacitation ..................................................................... 58 3. Summary........................................................................................................................ 61 3.1 Legislation issues............................................................................................... 61 3.2 Policies............................................................................................................... 61 Literature ..........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 21650 Europol
    EUROPOL2006 ANNUAL REPORT EUROPOL2006 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems – without the permission of Europol. Photos: Gordon Below, Christian Lohse, ECB, Eurojust, European Commission, Europol and Ministry of Interior Germany. Special thanks to all law enforcement authorities of the EU Member States who contributed to this report. Europol Corporate Communications Postbox 90850 2509 LW The Hague Netherlands Tel. +31-70 302 50 00 Fax +31-70 345 58 96 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.europol.europa.eu © Europol, May 2007 2 Contents EUROPOL2006 1. Introduction 4 1.1 Priority crime areas in 2006 4 2. Serious crime and analysis 5 2.1 Organised crime groups 6 2.2 Drugs 7 2.3 Crimes against persons 8 2.4 Financial and property crime 11 2.5 Terrorism 13 2.6 Forgery of money and other means of payment 14 2.7 Analysis 15 2.8 General achievements 16 3. Information integrity, technology and management 17 3.1 Strategy 17 3.2 Information integrity 17 3.3 ICT infrastructure improvements 18 3.4 ICT systems improvements 18 3.5 Automated information exchange 19 3.6 Third party information exchange 20 3.7 Europol Knowledge Management Centre 21 3.8 Liaison bureaux logistics 21 4.1 Budget 22 4.2 Personnel 22 4. Corporate governance 22 4.3 Cooperation agreements 26 4.4 Public relations 28 4.5 Open sources, documentation and library 30 4.6 New Europol headquarters 30 4.7 Organisation chart 31 5.
    [Show full text]
  • The Poets of Spohr's Lieder Op. 103
    THE POETS OF SPOHR'S LIEDER OP. 103 Professor of German at the University of Bristol and co-author with Eda Sagarra (Trinity College, Dublin) of A Companion to German Literature published in 1997 by Blackwell HIS is the first in a proposed series of articles intended to provide readers and performers of Spohr's songs with some awareness of what their texts mean, who wrote them, and what may lie or may have Tlain behind them. Its subject is the set of Six German Songs for Soprano, Clarinet and Piano Accompaniment, Op. 103, generally regarded as Spohr's supreme achievement in the Lieder genre. 1. Carl Friedrich Ernst Georg, Baron von Schweitzer (1796-1847) Ich wahrte die Hoffnung tief in der Brust, Die sich ihr vertrauend erschlossen, Mir strahlten die Augen voll Lebenslust, Wenn mich ihre Zauber umflossen, Wenn ich ihrer schmeichelnden Stimme gelauscht, 1mWettersturm ist ihr Echo verrauscht. Sei still mein Herz, und denke nicht dran, Das ist nun die Wahrheit, das Andre war Wahn. Die Erde lag vor mir im Friihlingstraum, Den Licht und Warme durchgliihte, Dnd wonnetrunken durchwallt ich den Raum, Der Brust entsprosste die Blute, Der Liebe Lenz war in mir erwacht, Mich durchrieselt Frost, in der Seele ist Nacht, Sei still ... Ich baute von Blumen und Sonnenglanz Eine Briicke mir durch das Leben, Auf der ich wandelnd im Lorbeerkranz Mich geweiht dem hochedelsten Streben, Der Menschen Dank war mein schonster Lohn. Laut auflacht die Menge mit frechem Holm, Sei still ... I kept the hope deep in my breast which had trustingly opened up to it; my eyes gleamed with a zest for life whenever her magic flowed round me and whenever I listened to her flattering voice; but its echo was drowned in the roaring storm.
    [Show full text]
  • Police Organization and Police Reform in Germany: the Case of North Rhine-Westphalia
    Police Organization and Police Reform in Germany: The Case of North Rhine-Westphalia Bernhard Frevel University of Applied Sciences of Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia Philipp Kuschewski German Police University Abstract The police in Germany is mainly a matter of the federal states, called „Länder”, and only the Federal Police (Bundespolizei) and Germany's Fed- eral Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) have nationwide, though limited powers and are the responsibility of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior. Because of the important role of the Länder the focus in this article is on one state. North Rhine-Westphalia was chosen as it is the state with the largest number of habitants and of police officers. In the article three main topics are described and analyzed. The first part focuses on the police system and its reform in recent years. The second part shows some more aspects of the modernisation of the police since the 1980s, like the integration of women and ethnic minorities in the police, the different activities to enhance the status of police officers for example by better payment and better training. Also the shifts in the police programme, especially including community policing and crime prevention, are dis- cussed. In the third, the steering of the police will be looked at. In the early 1990s the New Public Management was implemented – but was confronted with great difficulties. The reform in 2007 changed the concept of steering and now favours measuring inputs and outputs instead of outcomes, and benchmarking between the 47 police authorities. Over all it will be shown that the police in North Rhine-Westphalia pro- ceeded with modernisation, civilisation, pluralisation and professionaliza- tion.
    [Show full text]
  • The Environmental Impact of Sieben Linden Ecovillage
    The Environmental Impact of Sieben Linden Ecovillage Environmental impact assessment is widely taught and researched, but rarely covers both lifestyle and building construction in a town or neigh- bourhood. This book provides a broad assessment of the environmental impact of the ecovillage Sieben Linden in Germany. The ecovillage was founded in 1997 and has a population of over one hundred people. This book shows how raising the awareness of individuals and adopting a consistent way of community living can be environmentally friendly. This applies both to everyday practices and the way the houses in the ecovillage are built. The tools used to measure the impact are Ecological Footprint and Carbon Footprint methodologies, making use of indicators such as Primary Energy Intensity and Global Warming Potential. Despite the diffi culties encountered by using standardised methodologies, these research tools provide an overall assessment and have allowed comparisons with selected, similar cases and general values from statistic sources. This book will be of great use to professionals and scholars in the fi elds of environmental impact assessment, particularly at the town/district/city level, and of city and ecovillage management. It will particularly appeal to those engaged in a Sustainable Development Goal #11 perspective, as well as environmental policy makers at the local level. Andrea Bocco is Associate Professor of Architectural Technology at the Politecnico di Torino, Italy. His research interests cover the work and thoughts of unconventional contemporary architects, local development and construction with natural materials. Martina Gerace graduated in architecture at the Politecnico di Torino (Master’s in Architecture Construction City ), Italy, in 2017.
    [Show full text]
  • Forest for All Forever
    FSC National Risk Assessment For Germany DEVELOPED ACCORDING TO PROCEDURE FSC-PRO-60-002 V3-0 Version V1-1 Code FSC-NRA-DE V1-1 National approval National decision Body: FSC Germany – Verein für verantwortungsvolle Waldwirtschaft Date: 29.11.2017 International approval FSC International Center: Performance and Standards Unit Date: 03 April 2018 (updated 31 July 2020) International contact Name: Ulrich Malessa Email address: [email protected] Period of validity Date of approval: 03 April 2018 Valid until: (date of approval + 5 years) Body responsible for NRA FSC Germany – Verein für verantwortungsvolle maintenance Waldwirtschaft FSC-NRA-DE V1-1 NATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR GERMANY 2020 – 1 of 248 – Contents Risk designations in finalized risk assessments for Germany ..................................................... 4 Background information .............................................................................................................. 5 Background to the risk assessment .................................................................................... 5 What do we mean by FSC Controlled Wood? ..................................................................... 5 Why is the risk assessment necessary? .............................................................................. 5 Is all that is happening in German forests identified as ‘low risk’ correct? ........................... 6 Proceeding in a participatory process ................................................................................. 6 Timeline
    [Show full text]
  • Information Collection and Impact Assessment of Possible
    Information collection and impact assessment of possible requirements for environmental inspections in the area of EU legislation on water, nature protection and trade in certain environmentally sensitive goods Final Report July 2013 Consortium coordinator: Project coordinator: Project Partners: 1 Citation and disclaimer: Recommended citation IEEP, Bio Intelligence Service and Ecologic Institute (2013). Information collection and impact assessment of possible requirements for environmental inspections in the area of EU legislation on water, nature protection and trade in certain environmentally sensitive goods. Final report for the European Commission, DG Environment. Institute for European Environmental Policy, Brussels and London, July 2013. Authors: Andrew Farmer, Peter Hjerp, Axel Volkery (IEEP), Mary Ann Kong, Shailendra Mudgal (Bio Intelligence Service), Lucas Porsch, Johanna von Toggenburg and McKenna Davis (Ecologic Institute). Disclaimer: The contents and views contained in this report are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent those of the European Commission. 2 Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 7 ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................. 12 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 16 1.1 Purpose of the report .....................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • IS THIS a QUEER ISSUE? the Central Voice Garners Awards
    PERSPECTIVE: Scientology Do you self-censure tried to public affection? "cure" me PGS. 16 PGS. 19 REAL GAY NEWS. WE GIVE IT TO YOU STRAIGHT. THECENTRALVOICE.COM | NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2018 | FREE REFLECTIONS: Ted talks about civil rights and the gay Trump vote CASH BAIL Ted Martin is a native Penn- sylvanian and a longtime activ- ist and non-profit professional. Martin has worked in several varied administrative and com- munications capacities over the past two decades. Most recently executive director of Equality PA for seven years, Martin reflects on the state of LGBT affairs for The Central Voice. Ted Martin Central Voice: What do you think of as your accomplishments while serving as executive director of Equality PA? Ted Martin: Serving as Executive Director of Equality PA was exhilarating, exhausting, eye-opening, fun, sometimes brutal and disappointing, and always an honor. This type of work is not for the faint of heart. In my seven years, I point to passage of 22 local nondis- crimination ordinances throughout Pennsylvania as a great victory. Working with citizen advocates to make their towns a place where it’s against the law to fire an LGBT person, or refuse them housing or a public ac- Please see TED MARTIN, page 21 IS THIS A QUEER ISSUE? By Louie Marven currently incarcerated in local jails, many (ap- proximately 20,736) of them have yet to be con- The Central Voice Margaret Goof, of the Justice Policy Center, victed of a crime and are sitting in a cell simply recently called on people to honor the legacy of because they cannot afford cash bail.
    [Show full text]