Luxembourg: Poverty in Europe's wealthiest country | DW Documentary
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Published 2024-04-30
Luxembourg is a financial hub and home to the European Court of Justice as well as countless shell companies. And with the highest per capita GDP anywhere in the world, the country is also known for its wealth and luxury. But there's a different, lesser-known side to the grand duchy. Alexandra Oxacelay is with "Stëmm vun der Strooss,” an NGO dedicated to taking care of people who are homeless and socially vulnerable. The soup kitchen run by this charity is seeing a growing number of people searching for shelter, a hot meal and support. One of them is Stephan from Hungary, who's spent the last seven years living in a tent - even during winter. Alexandra has also noticed an increase in the number of "working poor,” or people struggling to make ends meet despite having a job. Serge Kappel suffers from chronic inflammatory back pain and has been unable to find an apartment he can afford due to a dramatic increase in rental costs. Researcher Antoine Paccoud attributes this to rampant speculation on the real estate market and insufficient funding for social housing. Alexandra can at least provide affordable housing for some people in need. But that help is limited when compared to the growing number of Luxembourgers and refugees who have become dependent on the NGO while living in the shadows of high-profile office buildings.
Poverty in Luxembourg has become an increasingly divisive issue. Yannick Wirtz, who is out of work, feels let down by the government and says there should be greater restrictions on immigration. Whereas NGO director Alexandra Oxacelay refuses to discriminate when it comes to the disadvantaged - insisting that in the wealthiest country in Europe, everyone deserves to be helped.
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All Comments (21)
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I saw a german nurse who lives in the borders and work in Luxembourg complain about north africans doctors moving to Germany to supply Germany hospitals, which are empty as germans prefer to work in Luxembourg. This lady was ok with working in Luxembourg as a foreigner but against of foreigners working in Germany. Many people come from abroad and take advantage of Luxembourg and complain about immigration from outside the EU.
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Much respect for that lady. The work she and all those who help her do is priceless!
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Considering that most people working in Luxembourg actually live in nearby countries because they can't afford the rent, you imagine the magnitude of social issues there... I was also working in Luxemburg and living in France...
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Homelessness is a tough subject. Once single family homes became an investment 25 years ago, everything went downhill quickly.
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Alexandra and the retired manager and other volunteers are the people who should be the Nobel Peace price winners instead of politicians, what a big heart 💖❤️
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Alexandra's dedication to addressing homelessness in a country as wealthy as Luxembourg is truly commendable. It's a stark reminder that behind the glamour of financial hubs, real people face serious challenges that require urgent and consistent attention. 👏
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Wait, I have 2 houses here in Accra Ghana, a business, and I tend to wonder why many Ghanaians have lost faith in themselves to travel abroad to look for work. I rent one of my houses to tenants and so not even worry them with rent. If we all decide to be kind to each other, we can have a thriving world. Billions of dollars are being spent on wars, but not to help people?
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I always imagined living in Luxembourg to be a dream come true. What a wake-up call.
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I always admire people like Alexandra who in the middle of the chaos of the world we are now living in have the time and energy to help, Great job Alexandra. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
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While the Grand Duke lives in wealth, luxury and comfort.
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That lady and her team are doing an amazing job. Who would have thought Lux had poor and homeless. .
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It's wonderful how there are still good people amidst this falling world. They are real heroes.
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We need people like Alexandra in all parts of the world. What an incredible person 👏👏👏
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That duke is part of that 0.5% who owns 50% of the land at luxemburg, his mutual interest is to keep the situation as it is running....
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One thing for sure is that the chasm between the poor and the rich will keep widening
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If you've never gone hungry or slept rough, you won't have empathy for poor people. That said, there's a reason immigrants do better than poor locals. And it's not because they receive imaginary advantages from the state. It's because they've seen much worse and use their opportunities.
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Cette femme Alexandra est extraordinaire, elle sauve tellement de gens dans la misère. Immense respect à elle !
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Great documentary as always! ❤
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To the retired manager: You Sir are'nt helping in a small way, your help is really immense. God bless You
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DW Documentary, vielen Dank wie immer 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
