With a handful of European member states considering bans on the
Muslim full-face veil, policies aimed at encouraging integration have
been pushed to the center of public debate. The stereotype of the
so-called failed immigrant who can't find employment, lacks education
and stands out in a crowd is fueling much of this debate.
But the first annual report by the German Advisory Council for
Integration and Migration fundamentally disagrees with this stereotype.
Klaus Bade, chairperson of the council, said efforts in Germany to break
down barriers between ethnicities are bearing fruit.
"In this sense, integration in Germany, and also internationally, in
many areas has become more successful," he said.
The council canvassed more than 5,000 people, including immigrants
and Germans, for its integration barometer. Both groups were asked how
they perceived the other group, with nearly two-thirds of immigrants
responding that they either "more or less" or "completely" trusted
Germans. Astonishingly, only 54 percent of Germans reported trusting
other fellow citizens.
Two out of three immigrants also said they felt Germans were
interested in their social integration. Bade said both sides also agreed
on the integration problem areas that needed to be addressed.
"On both sides more than 95 percent mentioned unemployment, improving
prospects for education, language courses and combating
discrimination," he said.
German 'optimism'
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes
mit der Bildunterschrift: A
degree of political consensus exists, analysts say
Ines Michalowski from the Social Science Research Center in Berlin
said the annual report shows that integration in Germany is coming along
much better than widely perceived.
"This report and the research that is behind this report actually
shows that there is more optimism and that people are pretty much used
to immigrant neighbors and immigrants are used to having people without
immigrant backgrounds as their neighbors," she said. "People are
actually used to living together."
The survey also showed that most people who were questioned approved
of, rather than disapproved of, the integration policies of the German
government. Michalowski said this is because integration is not a
central political issue in the country.
"In general, the interesting thing about Germany is that if you
compare it to other countries like France or the Netherlands, among the
political parties there is really a big consensus about what this issue
should look like and what the main problems are," she said. "And there
is no main right-wing populist party in Germany right now to stir up
this anti-immigrant feeling."
However, the statistics presented in the advisory council's report
also show that much still needs to be done. While 30 percent of German
children finish their high school diploma, only 10 percent of children
from immigrant families earn this qualification.
Though there has been progress over the last 20 years, the council
said the number of children of immigrant background finishing their high
school diploma has risen, and the number of those who drop out of high
school has fallen.
Author: Darren Mara
Editor: Martin Kuebler
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5594168,00.html
