Expert: real protection of citizens' rights means protection of socially vulnerable and disadvantaged persons
According to a report prepared by an international group of experts for the G20 Summit in Brazil and dedicated to global housing problems, about 40 percent of the world's population will not have their own accommodation by 2030. According to G20 experts, the housing crisis is caused by a number of negative global trends, several types of crisis (geopolitical, economic, environmental), as well as problems related to security and healthcare. Political expert Vadim Borovik, a deputy of the Minsk City Council of Deputies and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Belarusian Committee of Youth Organisations, recalled the statements of the West about democracy and human rights and shared his views on the developing situation.
“There are certain states that identify themselves as beacons of democracy and human rights, they are concerned about human rights in our country and in the Russian Federation. In fact, hiding behind such a message, such regimes simply interfere in the internal politics of others and try, let's say, to carry out coups, direct military intervention or economic expansion in their own interests. Ultimately, this leads to an increase in uncontrolled migration and additional flows of refugees. Actually, instead of unscrupulously interfering in the affairs of sovereign states pursuing responsible social policies, they should rather focus on the internal problems of people who are homeless, who lead an antisocial lifestyle and who undermine the foundations of security in society. This problem really prevails,” the expert said. “The politicians who decided to start military conflicts that led to an increase in the number of refugees are to blame. This situation has developed also because of the politicians who are conducting irresponsible social policy, not fully providing social guarantees to the ones left homeless due to the unfavourable economic situation.”
Mr. Borovik continued, “We understand that there are many people in the United States and Europe who do not want to work. They are ready to live on allowances, they are satisfied with the role of the unemployed. Here we can see an irresponsible policy of the state. For example, Belarus has such a concept as social parasitism, we inspire people to work and provide them with jobs and housing. In short, Belarus’ social policy is aimed at ensuring that there are no additional hotbeds of tension in society, since they can be a source of deterioration of the criminal situation. Unfortunately (and this is an objective fact), there are entire districts and neighbourhoods [in the US and Europe] where people lead an antisocial lifestyle, do not work, use drugs, and pose a threat to others. Their governments have failed to resolve the issue and force them to work, they have not managed to adapt these people to a normal life. Therefore, the issue of social adaptation of homeless people and those leading an antisocial lifestyle is very acute for the authorities of the United States and Western Europe.”
“I would like to emphasise once again: instead of interfering in our domestic policy, it is worth focusing on our own problems, since the real protection of citizens' rights is rooted in the protection of socially vulnerable and disadvantaged groups of the population,” Mr. Borovik concluded.
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In 2024, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development conducted an analysis of the number of homeless people in different countries per ten thousand people, and the result was the following: England — 44, France — 31, Czech Republic — 28, Germany, Ireland — 25, the United States — 19, Canada, Portugal — 11, Spain, Poland, Sweden – 5, Russia — 4, Finland, South Korea — 2, Bhutan, Vatican City, Liechtenstein — 0. The numbers speak for themselves.
According to G20 experts, the shortage of housing and the outstripping growth in housing prices are caused by the global trend towards urbanisation: in search of work, villagers and migrants are moving to cities that are unable to accommodate so many people. All this is caused by the changing structure of the global economy. It is necessary to change the housing market for it to meet the economic reality. It is impossible to force developers to build affordable housing, and only the market levers can change the situation.
