With winter quickly approaching, the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has started preparing an aid package for the homeless. Oddly, however, the minuscule amount of state aid set aside for Germany’s homeless population pales in comparison to that which is given to migrants living in the country.
The federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located in northwest region of the country, has allocated a measly €340,000 to help its homeless population make it through Germany’s icy winter as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. According to a report from the national weekly newspaper Die Zeit, the small amount of money will be used to provide those who are sleeping rough with sleeping bags, non-perishable food, disinfectants, and backpacks.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Social Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) said that some of the funds could be used to set up larger heated tents where COVID-19 hygiene standards and social distance rules can be followed. Nonetheless, the tents likely pose a threat of spreading coronavirus in the homeless population, many who experience underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the disease.
“Especially in the cold season it is important, and especially under corona conditions, to keep an eye on people who do not have their own roof over their heads and to help the poorest of the poor in a tried and tested uncomplicated way,” said Laumann. AP Images North Rhine-Westphalia’s Social Minister Karl-Josef Laumann said funds would be directed towards heated tents for the homeless in some cases, but in tight quarters, it may help spread the coronavirus. “Especially in the cold season it is important, and especially under corona conditions, to keep an eye on people who do not have their own roof over their heads and to help the poorest of the poor in a tried and tested uncomplicated way,” said Laumann.
Over 90 independent homeless support providers from across the country are said to be assisting in the effort to take care of the nation’s homeless population at this trying time. The aid is essential for the welfare of the homeless, as Germany’s long, frosty winters regularly claim the lives of many rough sleepers each year.
And as homeless Germans prepare to cope with the unforgiving elements with nothing more than tents and sleeping bags, so-called “refugees” can, at the very least, rely on heated communal accommodations with three meals a day, with many having their own apartments outfitted with kitchens.
In 2018, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) reported that three of four asylum-seekers in Germany were living in private accommodations such as apartments and houses. Two years later, that number has likely risen above 75 percent.
In 2015, the regional newspaper Westfalen-Blatt reported that each immigrant on average costs the residents of North-Rhine Westphalia — the most populous state in Germany — just under €3 per month.
Therefore, the taxpayers of North Rhine-Westphalia paid a total of €557 million in a single year for services under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act, which provide food, medical care, accommodations, and cash to migrants. Citizens of the state paid another €50 million to care for immigrants who have been deemed “underage”.
If one divides the total yearly cost of migrants (€607.3 million) by the total population of North-Rhine Westphalia (17.6 million), each citizen of North Rhine-Westphalia pays €34.50 per year or €2,87 per month for the welfare of migrants.
Germany, at the federal level, has announced plans that it will spend €64 billion on migrants over the next four years.
“Overall, refugee costs are an enormous burden for cities and municipalities. The conversion to every citizen, however, shows that fears that refugees would endanger our prosperity or our welfare state are absurd,” said president of the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament André Kuper (CDU) at the time.
Kuper also noted that the costs to take care of the migrants had increased by “at least three to four times” within a year.
“In addition, more and more cities no longer have space for refugees and have to create living space — either by buying or renting containers or building houses,” Kuper said.
