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Anti-Discrimination Act in Berlin: Almost 300 complaints against authorities for discrimination

2021-05-08T22:39:01.142Z


Almost a year ago, Berlin was the first state to submit a controversial anti-discrimination law. In SPIEGEL, the Green Justice Senator Dirk Behrendt takes stock of the situation.


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Photo: Paul Zinken / dpa

Since the introduction of the new anti-discrimination law in Berlin almost a year ago, 287 citizens have complained of having been discriminated against by the authorities.

"That goes across the Berlin administration," said the Berlin Justice Senator Dirk Behrendt (Greens) to SPIEGEL.

There were 45 complaints with the police and 16 cases with local public transport.

Around 10 cases were reported for each of the schools and universities.

Most of the complaints, around 100 cases, were because of "racist attributions," according to Behrendt. "There are also allegations of racial profiling by the police, for example that black people reported being checked on the basis of their skin color." In second place would be discrimination on grounds of disability or illness. How many of the allegations are justified is unclear. A large part of the complaints is currently being processed by a new ombudsman, which those affected can turn to. "So far, no case has landed in court," said the Green politician. "But the law is still too young for that."

Before the law was introduced in June 2020, critics warned that the police and other authorities would be paralyzed by numerous unjustified complaints.

"There can be no question of that," said Behrendt.

"45 complaints with around 20,000 police employees show that there are not masses of allegations being made."

In Baden-Württemberg there should now also be an anti-discrimination law under the green-black state government.

The local CDU state chief and interior minister Thomas Strobl was still a vehement critic in 2020.

Behrendt is happy about the change of course: "But if the Union there now says it's a good thing, if only so that it can continue to govern with the Greens, that's fine with me."

Source: spiegel

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