State of the World's Minorities 2006 - Germany

Germany officially recognizes four national minorities, the Danish, the Frisian, the Sorbs and the Roma/Sinti minorities. For years the minorities have been requesting support for a liaison office to the federal government and parliament. In 2005 the German government committed itself to establishing a liaison office. Education policy is in Germany delegated to the federal units, the Länder, which to a varying degree support minority schools from the public funds. In 2005, the Sachsen local government decided that the Sorbian schools in the state would no longer be eligible for exemption from the requirement of a minimum 20 pupils per class. The Sorbians in Sachsen, a Slav-speaking minority, have a constitutional right to minority schools but many schools operate with small classes. The planned closure of certain schools caused a heated political debate in Germany, and at the international level, both the Council of Europe and the Russian Duma have criticized the Sachsen government's plans. The minimum of 20 pupils is considered too high compared to other parts of Europe that comply with international standards for minority schools.

The impact of the political discourse for and against Turkey's accession to the EU has not made life easier for the Turkish immigrant community in Germany, which includes a large Kurdish minority. The rhetoric against Turkey's potential membership has more often than not been based on xenophobic attitudes against this large group of the German population, which has yet to be truly invited into mainstream society in Germany.