Migration and Integration

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Migration and Integration

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Politics starts with looking at reality.

Erwin Teufel, Politician and Former Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg

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At a glance

Over the past few years, the flow of refugees and migrants has dramatically increased. Never before have so many people left their homeland for a wide variety of reasons.
Rising immigration numbers are presenting challenges to the countries of destination. Great importance is therefore attached to managing migration as well as reforming the European Asylum System.
The integration of immigrants, who live permanently and legally in a country, represents an important domestic policy task for the future.
In Germany, 26 per cent of the population now has a migrant background. For children under the age of five, this figure is even more than 40 per cent.
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung contributes towards integration with its scholarships for people with a migration background. At the same time, we discuss important questions on the topic and develop potential solutions.

Content

1. Migration and flight are increasing worldwide

2. Integration as a major task for the future

3. European and international comparison as a starting point for our work

4. Our offers and projects on the topic

5. Publications, events and media contributions on the topic

Migration and flight are increasing worldwide

Over the last few years, more people have left their home country than ever before for a variety of reasons: Some flee from violent conflicts and persecution, while others leave their home country owing to political uncertainties, social conditions, corruption, inadequate handling of environmental disasters or economic plight. Some people see a change of residence for study or work as part of their career planning.

The migration process can therefore be very different, for example entry into a destination country may be legal or irregular, direct or via several transit countries, and the stay could be permanent, circular or only temporary.

Here, special emphasis is placed on understanding and mitigating the causes of flight, the safety of refugees in flight, but also an understanding for the reasons of irregular or regular migration beyond flight. Some factors can be addressed through targeted development cooperation.

The management of migration at national and multilateral levels as well as reforming the European asylum system are also pressing issues for politics and society, especially against the background of rising numbers of migrants and refugees and the associated challenges. These questions arise worldwide and also for Germany.

Integration as a major task for the future

Therefore, the integration of immigrants who live permanently and legally in Germany is an important domestic policy task for the future. Scarcely any topic has aroused so much public interest in recent years, particularly in the context and aftermath of high numbers of immigration between 2015 and 2016.

According to the Federal Statistics Office, 26 per cent of the population has a migrant background. Slightly more than half of them have German citizenship. The figures are even more pronounced for children under five years of age: here, 40 per cent of children in the country have a migrant background. Germany has thus increasingly developed into a country of immigration.

How, however, do the repercussions of migration shape our society and how do we want to organise our society? How can we implement equal participation in society and the labour market for all – in line with their respective qualifications and talents – and at the same time enable everyone to actively participate in the community of solidarity? How can we strike the right balance between challenging and promoting? What opportunities and risks does immigration harbour for Germany, and what do they mean for integration policy?

European and international comparison as a starting point for our work

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is tackling these and other questions together with representatives from science, politics and associations, in order to develop potential solutions. In the area of migration and integration, we value international and especially European comparison and exchange, too.

Our offers and projects on the topic

Publication projects

In addition to individual publications on specific aspects of flight, migration and integration, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation is interested in examining complex interrelationships from different perspectives. For this reason, we publish larger publication projects or multi-part publication series at irregular intervals, which approach the multi-layered problems of the topic from different angles.

Migration Policy Debates

KAS

The interview series “Migration Policy Debates” deals with current controversial migration policy issues. Each issue is centered around a central theme which is addressed by three experts from different fields. Representatives from politics, academia and civil society discuss domestic and foreign policy aspects and formulate policy recommendations.

Learn more about the interview series

Scholarship offers

For people from migrant backgrounds, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung offers specific opportunities for orientation and support with personal and professional development with the ‘High-Flyers’ and ‘scholarships for refugees’.

Study Mentoring Programme High-Flyers

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You too can become a high-flyer!

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The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s study mentoring programme High-Flyers, offers young dedicated and talented people from families without academic experience or with a migration background support on their way to university.

Scholarship holders and young former scholarship holders help with important and essential questions on everything related to universities of applied sciences and universities, and provide guidance during the transition from school to university.

Be it opportunities for student financing, choosing a subject or general information about a degree – our scholarship holders and former scholarship holders know exactly what it takes and are at hand as personal contacts in the framework of corresponding study mentoring, thus enabling insights into everyday student life.

Learn more about services offered by High-Flyers

Scholarships for Refugees

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As a refugee in Germany, you are entitled to study apply for a scholarship under special legal conditions. We look forward to supporting you in your professional and personal development, and gladly welcome talented new scholarship holders who actively enrich and help shape the progress of our society.

Learn more about the scholarships for refugees (English only)

Special initiative

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is cooperating with political decision-makers and civil society actors in the main destination states for Venezuelan refugees as part of the BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) funded special initiative “Fighting the Causes of Flight, Reintegrating Refugees in Latin America.”

Fighting the Causes of Flight, Reintegrating Refugees

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With the BMZ-funded special initiative, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is attempting to contribute towards successfully managing the refugee crisis in Venezuela. In this context, our country offices in Columbia, Peru, and Child promote joint exchange with a broad network of partners and engage in dialogue with local responsible players from politics, business and management as well as representatives of the refugee community on effective measures for successful integration.

Learn more about the special initiative