Germany One in four migrants at risk of poverty

October 17, 2011

Comment: The German article quotes a study published by the German Federal Statistical Office, according to which the risk of poverty among immigrants in Germany is more than twice as high as among the general population. More than a quarter of the migrants were at risk of poverty, while among the population without migration background, it was about one in eight.

The study includes both Germans with migration backgrounds as well as foreigners. In 2010, there were approximately 15.7 million people, of which around 8.6 million had a German passport. The largest groups of migrants were of Turkish origin (15.8 percent), immigrants from Russia (6.7 percent) and Italy (4.7 percent). About one third of the migrants come from EU countries.

Striking differences can be observed in the field of education: 15 percent of migrants obtain no general school diploma, whereas in the general population, these are just two percent. Moreover, 45 percent of migrants have no vocational qualifications. Among people without a migrant background, this is true for only 19, 6 percent.

Similar differences are evident in the employment situation: people with migrant backgrounds aged 25 to 65 are twice as likely to be unemployed and they are employed as labourers to 39.5 percent. The rate of people working with a migration background is at 22.3 percent.

The striking differences among people with and those without a migration background denote that chances and possibilities are not equally distributed among the German population. Apart from not being able to become full and equal members of society, a vicious circle can be identified: children automatically suffer from a lack of opportunities when their families are incapable of overcoming obstacles deriving from their migration backgrounds. Therefore, it is crucial to strengthen the promotion of equal opportunities mechanisms by governments on all levels.

Comments: Olga Herzenberg, Regional Office for Central and South Eastern Europe, Terre des Hommes- Child Relief