Social abuses in Germany are often organized by criminal gangs and unscrupulous "intermediaries" on the backs of poor immigrants from Eastern Europe - very often Roma. A large part of the victims are illiterate, but they arrive in the Federal Republic because they hope for a better life.
Without Bulgarians, life in Germany is unthinkable today
Since January 1, 2014, Bulgarian citizens have enjoyed the right to free movement in the EU, which means that they can completely freely choose in which country of the Community to look for work. This right is among the greatest achievements of European integration - thousands of Bulgarian citizens also benefit from it every year.
According to official statistics, at the end of 2024, 432,080 Bulgarian citizens lived in Germany - the largest group of citizens from another EU country after Romania, Poland and Italy. Most of the Bulgarians live in the provinces of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. Among them are many graduates with proven qualities and experience.
A number of German cities and municipalities derive great benefits from foreign labor. As noted by "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" (FAC), we could hardly imagine what life would be like in some highly developed and successful cities such as Munich, Düsseldorf or Hamburg without qualified specialists from other EU countries.
The poorest German cities are a magnet for migrants
At the same time, people who fall into the category of "poverty immigrants" have been arriving from Bulgaria and Romania for years. They are posing enormous challenges to some municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia and especially in the Ruhr area - indebted cities such as Gelsenkirchen and Duisburg, where there is also significant poverty, are particularly hard hit. According to "Zeit", cities such as Gelsenkirchen, Duisburg, Dortmund and Essen are among the ten with the highest poverty rates. However, they are the center of attraction for many Bulgarians and Romanians.
Current immigration statistics in North Rhine-Westphalia show that no other city in the province has as many Bulgarians and Romanians as Duisburg. The public broadcaster WDR reported at the end of last year that many Bulgarians and Romanians are heading to Duisburg-Hochfeld and pointed out that the district, which once had strong industry, has since become a "center of social problems and high unemployment".
And "Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" cites data from the central register for foreigners in Germany, according to which the number of Bulgarians and Romanians in Duisburg increased by 91.7% in just seven years - between 2014 and 2021.
It is not surprising that Roma from Bulgaria and Romania are heading to Germany in particular in large numbers, attracted by the hope of a better life. It is known that in their home countries they are discriminated against and isolated, and the cities in the Ruhr area offer a large number of empty homes and lower rents compared to other places. However, the influx of these poor migrants is a serious challenge for German municipalities.
The main reason for these problems lies in the very fabric of European legislation on free movement, explains the FAC. "Because anyone who manages to get a job, even if it's just five and a half hours a week, also gets access to social benefits, and this attracts poor immigrants from Southeast Europe."
Fraud in the social system and abuse of foreigners
In Germany, immigrants get access to social benefits, child benefits, rent assistance and other social benefits that provide them with a better life than in their homeland - they only need to prove that they have some, albeit minimal, employment. And this often opens the door to abuse and fraud.
There are a number of cases in which migrants work "undeclared", thus being entitled to greater social support, presenting a false document for temporary employment or receiving child benefits for children raised by grandparents in Bulgaria. The FTC points out in this regard that in 2025 almost 1,200 such frauds were registered, suggesting that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Migrants from Eastern Europe often themselves become victims of labor exploitation and unscrupulous intermediaries who charge them huge sums for accommodation with appalling living conditions. Such structures are often organized as gangs. In this regard, the FACS appeals for urgent action against such forms of organized crime and social fraud. It is a well-known fact that the fight against them is hampered by the lack of good coordination between social and financial services, tax authorities and municipal administrations.
Absurd rule?
In addition, it is high time to tighten the laws, recommends the German publication. The FACS adds: "When will the federal government finally ask the EU to abolish the absurd rule that five and a half hours of work per week give access to the benefits of the welfare state? From the perspective of the affected municipalities, the free movement of labor has become the free movement of social benefits, which threatens social peace and the European idea."