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Teaching Modern Languages at Post-16 and Beyond (28/6/15)
Dr Caroline Pearce, Department of Germanic Studies, University of Sheffield
Germany and the Refugee Crisis: Practical Solutions, Political Consequences
Terminology and context Integration
Multikulturalismus
Parallelgesellschaften
‚Einwanderungsland‘
Flüchtlinge, Asylbewerber, Einwanderer, Personen mitMigrationshintergrund, Migranten, Gastarbeiter, Ausländer, Fremde…
Rechtspopulismus / Rechtsextremismus
‘Merkel’s policy’?
Timeline September 2015: Merkel announces that people fleeing war and persecution are
welcome in Germany; so-called ‘Dublin procedure’ suspended for refugees from Syria
"Ich glaube, in der augenblicklichen Situation ist es offensichtlich, dass die auf dem Papier stehende europäische Asylpolitik nicht funktioniert.„ (Angela Merkel, 3 September 2015)
Thousands of refugees arriving by train in Germany are greeted warmly by local residents and volunteers (Willkommenskultur)
By mid-September, 400,000 refugees are arriving daily – the federal states report that they cannot cope with the influx and there is opposition towards the policy among the CDU /CSU
Mid-September 2015: border controls are re-established between Germany and Austria
Some European leaders distance themselves from German ‘open door’ policy
October/November: dispute on proposed ‘transit zones’ at the borders
New Year 2015: a series of sexual assaults on German women during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cologne and other German cities. The perpetrators were mainly men of North African and Arabic background
March 2016: Merkel negotiates EU deal with Turkey on refugee policy
How many refugees have come to Germany?
1.1 million over the past year
1.26 million asylum applications submitted in the EU (2015)
35% of all applications submitted in Germany (2015)
January –April 2015 114,125 asylum applications
January-April 2016 246,393 asylum applications
Drop in arrivals in 2016 (approx. 80-90 per day)
Approx. half of applicants from Syria (around half are granted leave to stay), followed by Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Albania, Pakistan and Eritrea
Two thirds are male; half of these between 18 and 35
Why Germany? Economic reasons
Joining family members
German government states that refugees are welcome
More restrictive policy elsewhere in EU
Angela Merkel, Aug 2015: "Unsere Freiheit, unser Rechtsstaat, unsere wirtschaftliche Stärke, die Ordnung, wie wir leben - das ist es, wovon Menschen träumen, die in ihrem Leben Verfolgung, Krieg, Willkür kennengelernt haben."
Finance and practicalities
Definition of refugee in Basic Law
Government introducing an accelerated asylum procedure (around 2,600 decisions taken per day)
New staff appointed to deal with asylum cases
Asylum seekers allowed to stay for three years initially
Refugees seen as bringing economic potential
Training/education grants for young refugees
Asylum seekers allowed to work after 3 months
Finance and practicalities
2 billion euros allocated to look after asylum seekers in 2015
Refugees divided between federal states depending on the income of each state (states receive 670EUR/month per asylum seeker)
Refugees can claim up to EUR 351/month for food, accommodation etc.
1 billion euros allocated for new social housing
Language and integration measures
180 million euros extra allocated for German language courses in 2016
Refugees granted asylum in Germany have to do a compulsory integration course (600 hours language and 100 hours on German law, history, culture and society)
Key importance of learning the language and adhering to principles of the constitution
A shift in leadership style?
‘Wir schaffen das!’ (Sept. 2015)
‘Es ist meine verdammte Pflicht und
Schuldigkeit’
"Ich kämpfe für diesen Weg…Ich
glaube, dass ich Deutschland diene,
wenn ich mich mit vollem Einsatz in
diese Sache einbringe.“(Oct 2015)
„Ich muss ganz ehrlich sagen, wenn wir jetzt anfangen, uns noch entschuldigen zu müssen dafür, dass wir in Notsituationen ein freundliches Gesicht zeigen, dann ist das nicht mein Land.“ (Sept 2015)
A shift in leadership style?
In a TV interview, Merkel admitted she
has no ‘Plan B’ (Oct 2015)
Stated that dealing with the migrant crisis
was important for Germany’s reputation in
the world and to hold Europe together
A shift in CDU policy? CDU has been more critical of immigration in the past
‘Deutschland ist kein Einwanderungsland. Es sind daher alle humanitär vertretbaren Maßnahmen zu ergreifen, um den Zuzug von Ausländern zu unterbinden.‘
(CDU/FDP, 1982)
2000: Leitkultur debate stemming
from CDU position paper calling for
immigration quotas
"Der Ansatz für Multikulti ist
gescheitert, absolut gescheitert!"
(Angela Merkel, 2010)
2014 Merkel presents CDU as a ‘Partei
der Migranten’
CSU still critical of Merkel’s approach
A ‘moral superpower’? The foreign media in particular has drawn parallels
between the situation of the Jews in the 1930s and that of refugees today
"Germany's road to redemption shines amid Europe's refugee debate" (Washington Post)
Chancellor Merkel praised for her moral stance and strong leadership (New York Times)
Tom Segev : "We should learn from the Germans how to treat refugees.“
“The rediscovery of European values” (La Republicca)
“Germany’s open-door policy in migrant crisis casts nation in a new light” (Los Angeles Times)
Bild: ‘ein helles Deutschland’
Lessons from the past?
April 2016: Merkel appealed to Germans expelled from Central and Eastern Europe after the war to act as ‘bridge builders’, asserting that their experience of losing home and homeland put them in the best position to understand the experience of the current wave of refugees.
May 2016: at the commemoration of the liberation of Dachau, Jewish representatives drew parallels between Jewish suffering and the plight of today’s refugees
Echoes of a negative past
Right-wing populism increases in popularity in Europe
In Germany, attacks on asylum homes / refugee centres
Resurgence of Pegida movement (Patriotische Europäergegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes)
2015 over 1000 attacks on refugee accommodation – (3 per day) – five times more than in 2014
Most, but not all, attacks had a far right motive
Heidenau, Clausnitz, Bautzen, Tröglitz
Dresden – fall in tourist numbers (the ‘Pegida effect’)
Right-wing populism at ‘centre of society’
Rise of AfD party
ARD ‘Report from Berlin’, October 2015
Legida march, Oct 2015
Shift in public opinion?
ZDF Politbarometer January 2016
60% said Germany could not cope with the number of refugees (Dec: 46%)
However, 57% disagree with CSU proposal to cap number of arrivals at 200,000 per year
70% expect levels of crime to increase
42% consider Germans social and cultural values are threatened by increase in number of refugees
54% consider that there are high levels of hostility towards foreigners in Germany
56% think that Merkel is not dealing well with the refugee crisis (Dec: 49%)
Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) Founded April 2013
Initially eurosceptic / anti-euro
Has since adopted an anti-refugee stance
Critical of what it sees as lack of control by the state
New leader Frauke Petry caused controversy by stating that illegal immigrants should be shot at the borders
Party favours a points-based immigration policy
Manifesto advocates a ban of Islamic symbols
Advocates return of border controls in Europe
4.7% of the vote in general elections 2013 –just shy of 5% hurdle
Now has seats in half of Germany‘s federal parliaments and European Parliament but not in any governments
European elections 2014
Regional elections May 2016
In Saxony Anhalt AfD won 24% of the vote and became second biggest party behind the CDU (56% said they voted AfD because of the refugee crisis)
In Rhineland Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg AfDgained 12% and 15% of the vote
The party won over many previous non-voters
CDU lost out to Greens in Baden-Württemberg and to the SPD in Rhineland Palatinate
Regional elections May 2016
However, the successful Green and SPD candidates supported Merkel’s refugee policy and 30% of voters switching from CDU to Green said they did so because of the refugee crisis
Public still seem largely on the side of the government’s refugee policy
Increased fragmentation of party landscape and lack of opposition influence due to Grand Coalition government
https://www.jetzterstrecht.online/
https://www.wir-zusammen.de/home
https://www.zdh.de/themen/gewerbefoerderung/willkommenslotsen.html
Economic initiatives to welcome refugees
http://ankommer.eu/
https://www.demokratie-leben.de/
http://www.bmfsfj.de/BMFSFJ/Freiwilliges-
Engagement/Willkommen-bei-Freunden/willkommen-bei-freunden.html
Resources www.bundesregierung.de (Federal Government website; also has pages in English)
https://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/DE/Mediathek/Einstieg/mediathek_einstieg_fotos_node.html?id=1432776 (10 facts on refugees / asylum– government website)
https://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/DE/Mediathek/Einstieg/mediathek_einstieg_fotos_node.html?id=1933428 (12 facts on integration)
Flucht, Migration, Integration: Fakten und Hintergruendehttps://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/DE/Themen/Fluechtlings-Asylpolitik/4-FAQ/_node.html
Beauftragte fuer Migration, Fluechtlinge und Integration https://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/DE/Bundesregierung/BeauftragtefuerIntegration/beauftragte-fuer-integration.html
www.bundeskanzlerin.de (Federal Chancellor‘s website)
www.bpb.de (Bundeszentrale fur politische Bildung)
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/fluechtlinge-und-einwanderer-die-wichtigsten-fakten-a-1030320.html (Der Spiegel - questions and answers on refugee crisis)
ZDF Politbarometer: http://www.heute.de/fluechtlingskrise-merkel-stuerzt-ab-mehrheit-haelt-obergrenze-von-200.000-nicht-fuer-machbar-41820126.html
Deutsche Welle www.dw.com has stories in German and English
Gesicht Zeigen ! Campaigns e.g. Jetzt erst recht – dein Gesicht für ein weltoffenes Deutschland http://www.gesichtzeigen.de/angebote/gesicht-zeigen-aber-wie/jetzt-erst-recht-fotoaktion/
Videos
http://www.spiegel.de/video/merkel-wir-schaffen-das-fluechtlinge-krise-video-1621709.html (Merkel‘s response towards the refugee crisis)
http://www.focus.de/politik/videos/kanzlerin-erzaehlt-fluechtlingsversteherin-merkel-der-moment-in-dem-die-neue-kanzlerin-entstand_id_5001000.html (Focus report on Merkel‘s changing stance towards refugees)
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/angela-merkel-trifft-weinendes-fluechtlingsmaedchen-aus-libanon-a-1043924.html(Merkel meeting a teenage refugee in Rostock and a centre for refugees in Heidenau)
http://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article145548014/Was-Hoyerswerda-von-Heidenau-unterscheidet.html (attacks in Heidenau)
http://www.spiegel.de/reise/europa/pegida-effekt-weniger-touristen-kommen-nach-dresden-a-1078874.html (Pegida demonstrations in Dresden, October 2015)
http://www.focus.de/politik/videos/merkel-bei-anne-will-das-sind-
die-zehn-wichtigsten-aussagen-der-kanzlerin_id_4998823.html(Merkel interviewed by Anne Will, October 2015)