Key Points
- Integration, particularly the integration of the refugees who have migrated to Germany in the last few years, is a task that primarily has to be dealt with by the municipalities.
- Municipalities are particularly involved in finding living space, promoting the regional economy and education and coordinating the commitments of citizens and the “intercultural openness” of the administration.
- Insufficient integration at the municipal level can contribute to long-term dependency of the refugees on social services, the majority of which has to be provided by the cities and municipalities themselves.
- Integration must be considered as a whole: language development, finding employment and social integration have to start in the reception camps and resources must be intelligently distributed.
- In order to activate civil society in a sustainable way, the potential of willing individuals must be addressed and coordinated, e.g. in the form of a survey of individual capacities using standard questionnaires.
Topics
“The only way to reduce immigration’s salience as a political problem is to make the system work better”
“Most people don't consistently favour liberal or restrictive immigration policies”
“Centrist parties must set the right tone and agenda”
Integration agreements in Europe and implications for Germany
Chad under stress test