The federal commissioner for anti-discrimination has stated that the government's reform proposals, the first in two decades, are insufficient and will not supply the resources and funding necessary to combat discrimination.
In 2025, a record number of individuals sought advice from Germany's Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency. Ferda Ataman, the independent federal commissioner for anti-discrimination, believes these individuals require stronger legal protections and expanded support services.
It is not solely about safeguarding minorities, Ataman stressed during the presentation of the agency's 2025 annual report on Tuesday.
"Anyone could experience discrimination at some point in their lives," she remarked. What matters to her is that "all people in Germany" receive adequate protection.
According to the report, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency received 13,067 requests for counseling last year β 1,662 more than in 2024, and more than three times the number recorded in 2019, the final year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ataman noted that this figure represents only the tip of the iceberg, highlighting the comprehensive findings from the German Socio-Economic Panel released a few months ago. That report indicated that over 13% of people in Germany reported experiencing discrimination in the preceding 12 months. Extrapolated, this amounts to roughly 9 million people β and only a small portion of those affected reported incidents to the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency.
The agency was established following the enactment of the General Act on Equal Treatment in 2006, which was intended to prevent and eliminate various forms of discrimination, as outlined in the German Basic Law, the country's constitution.
Racism, or discrimination based on a person's (perceived) ethnic origin, was by far the most common form of discrimination reported to the agency. With 4,571 reports, racism accounted for 43% of all cases, a proportion that has remained relatively steady over the past three years.
The same held true for the second-most common form of discrimination reported: discrimination against individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses. In 2025, approximately 28% of cases involved this form of discrimination, a slightly higher percentage than in prior years. About 22% of cases involved discrimination based on gender or gender identity, which was only marginally lower than in previous years.
Racism 'not a specifically German problem'
Deborah Choi, a startup founder and CEO based in Berlin, describes what racial discrimination means in concrete terms. Born in Nigeria, she grew up in the US before relocating to Germany.
"As a Black woman, I regularly face racism and sexism β whether I'm building startups or just walking through Berlin," she stated in the report. For her, however, racism is "not a specifically German problem, but a global one."
"Many people have to do a lot more just to be given the same opportunities," she added.
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Ataman is an independent commissioner, meaning she does not report to the federal government and cannot be dismissed by the chancellor. She was elected by the Bundestag for a five-year term in the summer of 2022. The nomination came from the then-federal government, which comprised the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the environmentalist Greens, and the neoliberal Free Democratic Party.
Ataman is sharply critical of the reform of the 2006 Equal Treatment Act put forward by the current federal government, which consists of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) and the SPD. This marks the first major amendment to the law since it was introduced 20 years ago by a previous CDU/CSU-SPD coalition β passed because the preceding SPD/Green government had already signed it into law, not out of political conviction.
Limited resources to fight discrimination in Germany
Ataman stated that the current framework for her work is insufficient and that the resources β including funds β are far too limited. She noted that every other country in Europe invests more in anti-discrimination efforts than Germany does.
Citing neighboring Belgium as an example, she said the country allocates β¬1 per resident to the work of its anti-discrimination agency, totaling around β¬10 million ($11.6 million). Germany most recently allocated β¬10.4 million β for a population of over 83 million.
But for Ataman, concrete policies are even more important than funding. She emphasized that it is crucial, for instance, for Germany to extend the period within which victims can take legal action against discrimination. Currently, the time limit in Germany is two months.
Under the current government's plans, this will be extended to four months. However, Ataman points out that EU countries typically allow victims between three and five years to file a complaint. Only with sufficient time, she argued, can victims receive thorough legal advice and properly review a case.
Additionally, she noted, victims of discrimination by government agencies, authorities, or employees have been unable to file lawsuits against these entities since 2006.
"The state should not be exempt," she stressed.
'Peaceful coexistence' needs to be guided by rules
Ataman also raised the issue of what would happen "if it is not a person but a computer program β that is, AI or an algorithm β that discriminates."
She hopes the Bundestag will make substantial changes to the government's draft bill during the upcoming parliamentary session. She herself was barely involved in the process, and was only informed shortly before the draft bill of the proposed reforms was passed by the Federal Cabinet.
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For over three years now, more than 120 organizations have been calling for more comprehensive legal protection against discrimination through an alliance called AGG Reform Now! For Ataman, this "unusual alliance, which has never come together like this before," reflects the "full diversity" of society.
The General Act on Equal Treatment (AGG) is like a "set of traffic rules for peaceful coexistence in Germany," she said. Discrimination occurs all the time, she added β that is why we need rules that are just as effective as those governing road traffic.
This article was originally written in German.