Corona grievances: Whole groups neglected? Even the top of the CDU sees problems - the Greens are making allegations

An RKI study raises pressing questions about corona mortality.

The Greens see clear causes - and even the CDU admits that there is a lot of catching up to do in at least one area.

Berlin - Germany is struggling with full intensive care units in many places in the Corona crisis - and hopes for faster vaccination progress.

At the same time, possible failures of politics in dealing with various social groups are now coming into focus, not least with a view to migrants.

Even top CDU politicians are now admitting the need for improvement in dealing with non-native speakers and other groups in the vaccination campaign.

But the problem may go much further.

The Greens expressed sharp criticism on Tuesday at the request of

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*.

Corona crisis in Germany: mortality in "socially disadvantaged regions" significantly higher - migrants badly affected?

An RKI study recently caused a stir. According to the expertise, in the second Corona wave "in socially disadvantaged regions of Germany" the Covid mortality was significantly higher than in other parts of the country. To date, data on the proportion of people with a migration background are largely lacking. But there are indications of problems: "We are increasingly noticing that people with a migration background are more affected," said the Berlin integration officer Katarina Niewiedzial a few weeks ago to the editorial network Germany.

CDU board member Serap Güler referred in a tweet on Tuesday to a "high infection rate among migrants".

She concluded a connection between the two phenomena: "Many migrants live in socially precarious conditions, work in professions where home office is hardly possible," explained the State Secretary for Integration in North Rhine-Westphalia.

It is possible, however, that the federal government led by the Union has done too little to improve the situation.

Guler himself calls for improvements to the vaccination campaign.

Merkel's corona policy too one-sided?

"Disadvantaged groups have no priority even in the pandemic"

Filiz Polat, spokeswoman for migration and integration policy of the Bundestag Greens *, complained at the request of

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* that the already precarious situation of refugees and some migrants had deteriorated further in the pandemic. "If counseling services are also omitted, targeted approaches are neglected and access to social, social and health participation remains restricted, this is of course also reflected in the figures," she said with reference to the RKI study and the presumably high number of corona cases among immigrants . 

It can be seen that already disadvantaged groups for the federal government of Chancellor Angela Merkel “do not represent a political priority” even in the corona pandemic, criticized the Greens. Polat also referred to a parliamentary question asking about knowledge about the situation of migrants, refugees and homeless people - and about ways to break down "barriers" for these groups in the pandemic. The government's answer is at

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: State Secretary for Social Affairs Kerstin Griese (SPD) stated in the answer rather generally “partly ongoing statistical surveys” and “third party data sources”.

"Access to information and advice centers is important for breaking down possible barriers," the letter continues.

The selection of existing offers is comparatively thin in Griese's answer: Ministries and authorities provided information "often in multiple languages" on corona-relevant topics.

In addition, reference is made to job centers, employment agencies and “integration and professional language courses” - and to a program that is not intended to promote measures until 2022 “that can help reduce the negative consequences of the corona pandemic such as social distance and isolation on site in the district or to soften the neighborhood ”.

Corona vaccinations: CDU board member Güler reprimands information for migrants - "Germans already have a problem"

Meanwhile, Güler sees problems with people with a migrant background being less willing to vaccinate. And suspects that the reason is primarily a language problem. "When I think of the letters that the first and second prioritization groups received, Germans have a problem understanding this letter," said the North Rhine-Westphalian State Secretary on Tuesday in the program "Frühstart" on RTL and n -tv. Often such letters are simply put aside and forgotten by the recipients.

"We still have to do a better information campaign in the respective languages," said Guler.

In addition, myths about the corona vaccinations circulated among various groups of immigrants.

Many asylum seekers believed, for example, that people who had been vaccinated could be more easily deported.

Young women reportedly feared that certain vaccines could affect fertility.

Spahn sees problems with the vaccination campaign: Information for migrants: inside should now help

But Minister Jens Spahn also looked at the topic on the day of the vaccination summit.

"If vaccination is not so popular in the home country or the country where the family comes from, then it is sometimes the same here," Spahn told TV broadcaster Welt on Monday.

The problem is now to be solved through “information”: “Targeted with social media, targeted through campaigns in certain parts of the city, target-oriented possibly in cooperation with the clergy, the Russian Orthodox Church or the imams, so just as with the Catholic priests . "

It is not just about the cultural background, but also the “social situation”, explained the minister.

You have to address those "whom we otherwise find difficult to reach with prevention offers when it comes to health".

Guler now speaks out in favor of public vaccination campaigns.

"What we need are role models who can be vaccinated," said the integration politician.

It must be made clear to people that it is “very important” to get vaccinated, “if we want to get back to normal quickly.” In his interview, Spahn emphasized the importance of vaccination for society as a whole: “I just want that we jointly promote vaccination in all areas of life, because it gives us all freedom back together. ”(

fn with material from dpa

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