Aggressive begging in Cologne: Political debates are escalating!

Aggressive begging in Cologne: Political debates are escalating!

The topic of homelessness and aggressive begging is currently being intensively discussed in Cologne. The city has recently seen a noticeable increase in homeless and heavily intoxicated people on the streets. This not only creates a worrying picture, but also raises fundamental questions about the social problems in our society. How do we as Cologne residents deal with these challenges? This question has brought various parties and citizens' initiatives onto the scene, all of which are proposing their solutions.

The AfD's mayoral candidate, Matthias Büschges, has formulated clear demands regarding aggressive begging. He reports on people who ask for money in the KVB trains or on street corners and become unreasonably pushy. Büschges advocates the introduction of the Darmstadt model in Cologne, which includes, among other things, a ban on active begging and a ban on directly addressing passers-by. His goal is to protect Cologne residents from harassment and to revise the regulations for street musicians, as he considers the current regulation of 30 minutes to be unreasonable. The KVB's awareness-raising should help to get the problem under control, according to express.de.

Extreme problem in the city

But the problems in Cologne go beyond aggressive begging. District mayor Andreas Hupke from the Green Party speaks of “extreme excesses” of homelessness that are not only putting a strain on the streets but also on social interaction. He calls for a round table at which experts and those responsible should develop solutions. The city already has a wide range of help options with various contact points for the homeless, including drug consumption rooms for health support. Nevertheless, the demand for help is high, while many of those affected do not live in appropriate accommodation or do not want to use the services due to addiction problems, as rundschau-online.de reports.

Surprisingly, many homeless people are found in busy places during the day, where they work by collecting bottles or begging directly. According to estimates, around 532,000 people are homeless in Germany, including around 47,300 who are unthinkably homeless. The main cause of housing loss is rising rents and rental debts, which are particularly dramatic in large cities like Cologne. The situation is made worse by the fact that the number of social housing offers has fallen sharply, which is documented by Statista.

Social pressure and fears

Another intrusion into the discussion is the dazzlingly described burden on residents and business people, who repeatedly point out that aggressive begging prevents many from frequenting certain places. An incident in which a homeless man died outside a cinema has sparked additional concern. The Eigelstein citizens' association is calling for better coordination and a homelessness project manager to help those affected, while Annett Polster from city marketing expresses concerns that tourists and business people could turn their backs on the city if the situation does not improve.

This dynamic of social need and economic pressure shows that there is a need for action. Cologne citizens and politicians are asked to work together for a better coexistence. An overall concept seems urgently needed to decisively address the challenges of homelessness and aggressive begging and to find a humane solution that takes into account the needs of both the population and the homeless.