Citizens from other EU countries face discrimination in Germany: Study

By Mesut Zeyrek

COLOGNE, Germany (AA) - A recent study conducted in Germany found that people arriving from other European Union countries face discrimination in the country.

The findings indicate that many EU citizens living in Germany, particularly from Romania and Bulgaria, experience feelings of disadvantage or exclusion according to the survey, which was commissioned by the German government and carried out by the University of Tubingen via social media.

The study's lead researcher, Bernhard Boockmann, said that only 23% of the respondents said they had never felt disadvantaged or excluded.

Meanwhile, 63% reported feeling this way rarely or occasionally and 14% said they experienced such feelings frequently or very frequently.

He noted that many EU citizens have practical concerns, particularly related to their employment.

Natalie Pawlik, Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration and a member of the Bundestag, also commented on the findings.

She reportedly criticized the situation in sectors such as elderly care, where many workers are said to be employed below their qualification levels due to the non-recognition of their credentials.

Pawlik further criticized the exclusion of EU citizens from integration and language courses, arguing that language is key to social participation and upward mobility in German society.

She reportedly said that the restriction affects around 130,000 people, including approximately 37,000 EU citizens, who no longer have access to integration courses.