GermanyThe city of Offenbach, near Frankfurt’, the main economic center of ’, is home to a large number of migrants who occasionally face difficulties in integrating into the labor market and the local community.
One of these families is Milanov’s, who migrated from ’ to Germany 10 years ago.
It has been a decade of challenges marked by unstable jobs, homelessness, as well as language and cultural barriers. But new EU initiatives on minimum income could help improve the lives of people like Milanov’s.
EU minimum income plan
Over the past two years, a publicly funded social safety net has allowed the Milanov family to foresee a brighter future. AB’'s family-funded minimum income plan has become even more effective in helping to lift Europe’'s most vulnerable households out of poverty and into the labor market.
Benefiting from the German minimum income program Radostin Milanov, “After I lost my job, I went to see the state and they helped me, ” said. “, we didn't have a place to stay, we didn't have an apartment. They immediately found us a place to stay, an apartment. They took my kids to school and supported them. They also told us how to live in ’, Germany.
The Milanov family is part of the European Union-funded pilot project CRIS (Cooperate, Reach out, Integrate Services). It aims to find new ways to solve the problems faced by the most vulnerable people.
Radostina Milanova euronews’e “I think the CRIS project is very good ” said. “They are very good to us, my wife and my children, they help. When I or my children receive letters from authorities and other agencies and don't understand, they help us. They're very respectful of us, too. - ”
Minimum income programmes across the EU: ‘Improvement area’
But these plans face significant challenges across the EU. According to Serdar Damar’, coordinator of this initiative at the Offenbach Municipality Business Center, minimum income programs need to be more personal and holistic.
Damar, “We are more successful when people trust us, when they see that they are not numbers, when they see that we care about the whole family, that we take their problems and concerns seriously, and that we also take their health problems seriously, ” said. “, it makes them feel important. They feel that they are integrated into ’, that they are accepted. And I think it's the best way to build a common life with these people and a common future here.”
It is estimated that around 95 million people in AB’ are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. For the transnational coordinator of the CRIS project, Germany says that the minimum income at ’ is a good model, but there is room for improvement.
Matthias Schulze-Boeing, coordinator of CRIS Transnational, said: "We cover the entire cost of housing in “, and we cover the fee that is sufficient for a living but at a very low level. Therefore, there should always be an incentive to start working to earn more money, so this is also the basic principle in Germany’ said.
“There is a lot of room to develop to integrate these different services: Support for young people, youth, health care, housing services to become more effective and more efficient.”
Will the minimum income plan work in practice?
The European Union has advised member states on how to improve their minimum income plans. The scope and scope of reforms should focus on access to labor markets and services, individualized support and effective supervision.
Will this be enough to help fight poverty in the European Union?
Euronews asked Bea Cantillon ’a, professor of social policy at the University of Antwerp ’, her views on minimum income and the way they are implemented across the EU.
“AB’de would like to start by saying that it is extremely important for all member states to have minimum income protection as a last resort safety net for all citizens, ” said. “For example, this is not the case in the USA’, and in the last few years and decades, we have seen the growth of the remaining Member States.”
The EU is pushing for a proposal on minimum income, but it is not binding. Asked why AB’ did not press for a directive or regulation on this issue, Bea Cantillon replied: “There have been many initiatives, but I can say that the strongest initiative so far is the text in this proposal. First, you need to set the minimum wage. It is then possible to consider a directive on the protection of minimum income. It is also difficult to define what the basic needs are in AB’.”
The professor of social policy acknowledged that the structure of the European Union ’ is an important point to keep in mind when it comes to minimum income plans, as social policy and labor policy are still largely in the hands of member states.
“You can't think of a European minimum income plan that covers all citizens, all EU citizens in the same way. The differences between countries in terms of welfare levels, economic capacity and social security systems are huge; extremely different in different member countries.”
When asked about projects aimed at bringing a more holistic approach to minimum income, Bea Cantillon said she thinks this is the way forward.
“This is why the local level, the level of outreach organizations is so important, because you can not help a large number of minimum income recipients. The fact that minimum income programs should remain a last resort for a limited number of people is crucial. Because if the numbers increase, so did ki, then such a holistic approach becomes more and more difficult to implement.
The minimum income plan for the Milanov family is a lifeline and a beacon of hope for the future.
Radostina Milanova, “I want my children to complete their education. I want them to be independent. "We care about them as parents," ” said.
