Germany has experienced more than one wave of migration, but integration problems still exist
Deutsche Welle spoke with Franziska Woellert, an expert at the Berlin Institute for Population and Development, about how difficult this task will be and how to accelerate the integration process for refugees.
– You have observed different migration flows in Germany. If we talk, for example, about labor migrants and their children, how successfully have they managed to integrate?
– Germany has had problems with integration for a long time, and they still remain. People were perceived as guests, about whom one did not need to worry, let alone their integration. Therefore, everything achieved along this path is the merit of the migrants themselves. Although there were many difficulties here as well.
– How does the integration process differ for different categories of migrants?
– Different categories of migrants came to Germany for different reasons, and that is the main difference. Most guest workers came, firstly, without the intention to stay long, and secondly, with the goal of finding work where no high qualifications were required. In most cases, their level of education was correspondingly low.
This applies, for example, to many newcomers from Southern European countries and to a large group of migrants from Turkey. And precisely because proper measures for their integration were not taken, even in the second and third generations, migrants often failed to make up for the educational deficit that their parents had.
– However, in the case of Iranians who came to Germany after the fall of the monarchy in Iran in 1979, it was different. Why?
– These were people from the upper strata of society, well-educated and with more stable financial situations. Therefore, with such a background, it was easier for them to integrate in Germany.
– When granting asylum, no one asks about qualifications. Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière said that up to 20 percent of adult refugees arriving in the country today are illiterate. How does this affect the integration process?
– First of all, it should be noted that these figures are absolutely approximate. As of today, we do not know the level of qualifications of refugees. Among them are people with very good education, university graduates, as well as those with little education. These difficulties still lie ahead. There are categories of refugees who need to be taught not German, but basic literacy. But it is too early to say how many such people there are.
– Do you think that work largely contributes to integration?
– Yes, that's right. And this applies to refugees as well. They come not because they really wanted to, but because they could no longer stay where they lived before. And they have a very strong motivation – a better life for themselves and their family. They very much want to work, to have the opportunity to settle down. And they should have the opportunity to do so.
There is nothing more frustrating than being left idle at the very moment when you finally feel safe. One of our tasks is to give people the opportunity to take their fate into their own hands.
– A huge number of refugees are currently arriving in Germany. How might this affect the integration process?
– Integration always requires the participation of both sides. The population of Germany is currently showing incredible tolerance and willingness to accept refugees into society. How much this will pay off is hard to assess right now. However, it is very important that this hospitality in society is maintained, that the desire to help people integrate is preserved in the future.
– What should both sides do for successful integration?
– At present, both sides are showing great willingness to meet each other halfway. And we must preserve this intention in the future, regardless of emotional moments. After all, the integration of refugees is our task for the coming decades. And both sides are responsible for its success.
Most refugees are already happy to be safe. They hope that they will have some prospects here. We must ensure that these hopes are not shattered at some point when they realize that not everything is working out. As for the residents of Germany, we need to ensure that our current willingness to help does not turn into disappointment when we begin to notice that not everything is going smoothly, that not all refugees will be eternally grateful. That, as in any society, we must be tolerant, that everything in life changes, and we need to adapt to this.