Thesis: While there exist major concerns of the immigrants from the local population, factors such as government policies, language learning, and education, as well as better living conditions have contributed to successful integration in Germany.
Background
The history of immigration in Germany beginning in the 1960s.
Literature Review
1. Labor market for the immigrants in Germany.
2. Multiculturalism in the context of immigration.
Findings
Government Policies
a) Immigration laws
b) Government integration policies for the immigrants.
c) Structural integration for the asylum seekers.
Education and Learning the German Language
a) Schooling for the immigrants, especially the children.
b) Initiatives for the German language learning.
c) Refugee projects for education and learning.
Improved Living Conditions and Integration in Communities
a) Improvement of the emergency hostels into better lodgings.
b) Community involvement and integration.
c) Help for the immigrants in finding jobs by companies through the government incentives.
Conclusion
Integration of the immigrants in Germany has been a success.
Integration of immigrants in Germany
Introduction
The population of Germany has greatly been shaped by immigrants who have migrated to the country for more than five decades now. In the past, Germany viewed immigrants as temporary guest workers but as more people continued to migrate into the country, the face of the nation significantly changed. Germany has become a home for more than 10 million foreign-born individuals, which constitutes the largest immigration population in Europe. According to the European Union statistics, the population of immigrants in Germany is nearly 13 percent of the total (Sinning, 2010). Germany has accepted immigrants in their country that includes refugees from countries such as Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Afghanistan as well as Syria, a scenario which has increasingly shaped the organization of the country as integration programs continue to be taken seriously by both the government and the population. While there exist major concerns of the immigrants from the local population, factors such as government policies, language learning, and education, as well as better living conditions have contributed to successful integration in Germany.
Background
For many decades, native Germans have not been able to give birth to many children to supply enough young workers for the factories as well as offices. Additionally, the inadequacy in the number of children reduced the workforce in the European nation, resulting in few workers in institutions such as hospitals as well as care homes for the rapidly aging population (Schönwälder, 2010). Furthermore, the unemployment rate in Germany stands at less than seven percent, one of the best in Europe and a factor which has attributed to the growth of immigrants in the country. As such, the nation became very welcoming and open for skilled workers, favorably changing Germany in a fundamental way. The main contingents of the immigrant population in the country is therefore composed of job seekers including the Turks, Yugoslavs as well as Italians who migrated into the nation in the 1960s and 1970s (Sinning, 2010). Additionally, in the 1980s and 1990s, Poles, as well as ethnic Germans from the former Soviet Union, migrated into the country in search of jobs. Recently, a big population of the southern Europeans who were fleeing from the Euro crisis as well as Romanians and Bulgarians also continue to migrate into Germany. As such, increased migration into the country resulted in a huge number of immigrants from around the globe.
Literature Review
In his article, Kogan (2011) examines the labor market integration of the immigrant population who have entered Germany since the 1990s, with a comparison of the predecessors who came to the country earlier. The author affirms that based on the cumulative micro-census data, the current status of the immigrants in Germany is far off better than that of the first generation (Kogan, 2011). In addition, the author affirms that the condition of the immigrants has significantly changed since the 1990s, with most of them being better-educated due to the policies that have been put in place by the government and non-governmental organizations in the country. In fact, the author affirms that most of the people from the Middle East, Africa as well as Eastern Europe who migrate to Germany do not face many problems when it comes to being integrated into the labor market of the country (Kogan, 2011). Although the former immigrants into Germany experienced ethnic disadvantages while taking into account the value of human capital, those who migrated into the country since the 1990s have more advantages (Kogan, 2011). As such, the major problem that existed with the immigrants of the 1960s and 1970s was lack of human capital which was the main obstacle to labor market integration. Nonetheless, the integration of the immigrants into the labor market in Germany has greatly benefited many people.
Schönwälder (2010) explores the concept of multiculturalism in the present day Germany as a result of an increase in immigrants. While the term multiculturalism was in the past used as an exclusively negative image, the term has been adopted by both politicians and citizens to signify the transformation of the country. The author affirms that the attitude of the German population towards the immigrants has significantly changed (Schönwälder, 2010). Both the government and the politicians have started to accept that more than 14 million of the population constitute of folks with a migration background and are therefore a significant part of the country. Additionally, the conservative politicians have also taken steps towards the recognition of religious plurality in the country which is the key importance of migrants’ integration (Schönwälder, 2010). As such, most people in Germany have started embracing the immigration cultures, coupled by the life in the country as a self-conscious nation of immigration being largely advocated for. Although enmity to multiculturalism in the country still exists, integration of immigrants in Germany can be termed as a success due to the policies as well as attitudes of the people.
Findings
Government Policies
Before 2005, the regime only delegated immigration efforts to welfare organizations despite the criticism that came from science as well as politics. The criticism noted the urgency of active integration support as a result of the increased number of immigrants in the country as early as the 1970s (Sinning, 2010). Following a lengthy struggle, the public viewed integration as a government initiative in 2005, prompting formulation of policies to ensure the acceptance of immigrants into the country. For instance, the Immigration Law which came into effect on January 1st, 2005 was a significant policy which paved way for the successful integration of the immigrants in the country (Henewinkel & Oltmer, 2018). Additionally, the Federal Authority for the Recognition of Refugees (BAFI) which became the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) was commissioned with the regulation of measure for integration support (Henewinkel & Oltmer, 2018). Such measures including the integration courses have significantly helped the government to fully integrate the immigrants into the culture, language, as well as the history of the country.
The integration policies have wielded a significant impact on the lives of both the immigrants and the native Germans; they have all benefited from the initiatives of the government. The policies follow the principle of support, as well as demand. The immigrants have an obligation to acquire German skills in addition to respecting the fundamental values of the society in the country, with major emphasis being put on free democratic basic order (Schönwälder, 2010). Significantly, the society is also obliged to ensure equal treatment as well as opportunities to all the vital societal aspects in addition to removing the obstacles of integration that may still be existing. For instance, in 2006, an annual summit on integration, officiated by the Federal Chancellery and the German Islam Conference, were established (Basilio, Bauer & Kramer, 2017). The initiatives demonstrated that the politics in Germany not only recognizes the presence of the immigrants in the country but also engages them in active dialogue. As such, the initiatives serve as significant symbols of the National Integration Plan which is determined to evaluate and make the integration policies more binding for the benefit of all populations in the country.
The policies initiated by the government have also focused on structural integration into the employment market as well as monitoring of the social as well as the cultural participation of immigrants and their descendants. The recognition of cultures, as well as religious disparities, have also been a critical debate in the country, resulting in the acceptance of many religious practices including Islam (Basilio, Bauer & Kramer, 2017). Furthermore, the integration policies resulted into the institutionalization of a law in 2012 that was intended to improve the opportunities for the immigrants who have foreign university degrees. The legislation enabled many immigrants who were working below their qualification levels to find better jobs, thus improving their living standards as well as the economy of the country. Although the provision of the law applies to professions regulated at the federal level, states were also allowed to create their own recognition levels, greatly benefiting German immigrants (Schönwälder, 2010). Moreover, the Integration Act of 2015 also implied benefits to asylum seekers, dealing with the integration of the refugees into the labor market (Henewinkel & Oltmer, 2018). As such, the opportunities given to the immigrants as well as the refugees in Germany have majorly been attributed to the policies made by the government since 2005 for better integration.
Education and Learning the German Language
Schooling has been one of the most influential factors for the successful integration of immigrants in Germany. Education is an important step in enabling the immigrants to blend into the job market in the country as well as participating in the holistic society. Cohesion in a community is best achieved when individuals are educated with the same values. Hundreds of thousands of immigrant children who are underage have been accorded the opportunity to successfully complete a school diploma since the government provides enough teachers for preparatory classes (Basilio, Bauer & Kramer, 2017). Additionally, children learn German before joining the regular classes. Some schools in the country have recorded more than 30 years of experience in integrating immigrants into the community (Basilio et al, 2017). Most of the immigrants in the country have the opportunity to be educated and they get integrated into the general school population. The government is also responsible for hiring additional teachers to help the immigrants, especially the children, to receive better education, a crucial step in their integration into the community. Moreover, welfare organizations have also contributed to the education of immigrants and accelerated the process of integration in the country.
The relationship between second language proficiency and national identification has been proven to be very influential in the integration of immigrants in Germany. German language proficiency has attributed to increased interaction as well as the integration of the first generation immigrants in Germany (Hochman & Davidov, 2014). In Germany, many refugees do not have access to the public integration programs for the first three months until their application for asylum is positively decided. Even so, by signing up for a language as well as a vocational training course, the refugees gain valuable advantages for integration in the country, in addition to preparing them for jobs (Henewinkel & Oltmer, 2018). Learning the German language is an important aspect for any immigrant, owing to the fact that it is difficult to fully adapt to the society. Additionally, adopting German as a language has placed the immigrants in a better position to fully integrate into the society as well as seek opportunities.
In the year 2015 and 2016, more than 15,000 refugee projects were launched in Germany, many of which focused on helping the immigrants learn the language of the country (Henewinkel & Oltmer, 2018). The projects have had significant accomplishments as many immigrants have the opportunity to learn the German language, which has hastened the process of integration in the country. As noted by Hochman and Davidov (2014), learning the German language places the immigrants strategically towards finding help from the native Germans. Moreover, learning the language has enabled the immigrants to fully identify themselves with both the cultures and the traditions of the country. For instance, the Federal Office of Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has created an extensive offering of courses across the country with the help of other institutions as well as welfare organizations (Basilio, Bauer & Kramer, 2017). Such courses have helped the immigrants to have comprehensive language training as well as civics for new settlers. In fact, the government covers the cost of those who have official refugee status. The programs include 600 hours of training for the German language, as well as 100 hours of German values instructions, history as well as general instructions (Hochman & Davidov, 2014). Against this backdrop, the immigrants have been able to fully integrate into the community because they have a fundamental understanding of the German cultural values.
Improved Living Conditions and Integration in Communities
The living conditions of a particular group in a country play a significant role when it comes to the integration of immigrants into the community as well as fostering social cohesion. Many refugees in Germany have been able to move out of their emergency hostels and are now living in better conditions. For instance, in Berlin, the living conditions for the refugees were particularly bad, albeit the government has taken initiatives in improving them (Basilio, Bauer & Kramer, 2017). Most of the states in Germany have greatly invested in improving the living status of the refugees, a noble act which continues to successfully contribute to the integration of the immigrants into the country. Immigrants who arrive in the country are met with better conditions than those who arrived in the past years. Additionally, many states started to build numerous lodgings that have improved standards for the accommodation of immigrants (Basilio, Bauer & Kramer, 2017). The country has had significant experiences in the past, especially during the refugee crisis, enabling the government to offer better standards for immigrant integration.
Improved living conditions have also contributed to a better relationship with the local people. In turn, enhanced social cohesion experiences have been developed as the immigrants are offered the opportunities to become prominent in public life resulting from the civil society's significant role. The society has also learned to develop projects that assist the immigrants in experiencing better living conditions as well as community involvement (Basilio, Bauer & Kramer, 2017). In addition, businesses are also getting involved in integration programs such as aiding traumatized refugee children as well as assisting many immigrants in finding jobs. As such, apart from improving the living conditions of the refugees in the country, the government, as well as welfare programs, are actively engaged in assisting the immigrants to integrate into the community.
Work is a significant factor in improving the living conditions of immigrants as it enables them to fully participate in society. In the process of improving the living conditions of immigrants, the government and other institutions have adequately participated in helping the refugees find jobs that reflect their qualifications (Henewinkel & Oltmer, 2018). For instance, the regime has simplified the process of the asylum application, consequently placing the refugees in a better position to quickly integrate into the community. Moreover, the government continuously offers incentives to companies that offer assistance to asylum seekers in the country. Such companies assist the refugees in learning a profession at a technical college while at the same time gaining technical experience with the company (Basilio, Bauer & Kramer, 2017). Since most of the refugees come from countries where they study and work, the government has recognized this concept, allowing the immigrants to participate in the labor market with respect to their professional skills.
Conclusion
Germany is one of the countries in the European Union that has the highest number of refugees since the 1960s. The country has more than 14 million immigrants in a population of approximately 80 million people. The government of Germany has been successful in the integration of immigrants through a number of policies that are meant to improve the general lives of the refugees. While it was hard for the immigrants to find jobs or co-exist well with the community, many factors such as improved living conditions as well as education have yielded successful integration. Additionally, the government, politicians as well as other institutions have accepted the concept of multiculturalism citing the benefit of the immigrants; positive practices have been adopted to facilitate the esteemed integration process. Although there exist some challenges with the integration of immigrants in the country, the progress made by the country to date is a success against the backdrop of many new settlers having been successfully assimilated into the community.
References
Kogan, I. (2011). New immigrants―Old disadvantage patterns? Labour market integration of recent immigrants into Germany. International Migration, 49(1), 91-117.
Schönwälder, K. (2010). Germany: integration policy and pluralism in a self-conscious country of immigration. In The Multiculturalism Backlash (pp. 162-179). Routledge.
Sinning, M. (2010). Homeownership and economic performance of immigrants in Germany. Urban Studies, 47(2), 387-409.
Hochman, O., & Davidov, E. (2014). Relations between second-language proficiency and national identification: The case of immigrants in Germany. European Sociological Review, 30(3), 344-359.
Henewinkel, V., & Oltmer, J. (2018). Integration and Integration Policies in Germany | bpb. Retrieved from http://www.bpb.de/gesellschaft/migration/laenderprofile/262812/integration-and-integration-policies-in-germany
Basilio, L., Bauer, T. K., & Kramer, A. (2017). Transferability of human capital and immigrant assimilation: An analysis for Germany. Labour, 31(3), 245-264.
