Germany’s Treatment of Refugees
Throughout Europe, Ukrainian refugees have been supported and welcomed while Russia pursues war in Ukraine. Those seeking refuge in Germany are immediately given temporary residency status, allowing them to reside, find employment, and attend schooling in the EU for three years. Oftentimes, documentation is not required and they are welcomed by Germans at the border. This seamless welcome process is not the same for Syrian and other non-Ukrainian refugees attempting to enter Germany. Syrians have never been given immediate temporary residency status or protection, nor have they been welcomed by the population applying for asylum. It took several years after civil war began in Syria before Germany began accepting asylum seekers. In fact, the EU has attempted to limit the number of Syrian refugees entering its borders through negotiations with nearby countries like Turkey. Within Germany, Syrian refugees have been demonized and used as political tools to campaign on by far right politicians in the AfD, especially in places with little to no refugee populations.
Integration has been the German immigration policy towards refugees, especially those that are not coming from Ukraine. The Integration Law (2016) forced refugees to partake in German classes, and work programs to receive benefits from the government. Although framed by the state as “integration,” many believe these policies attempt to Germanize refugees by erasing their own language, culture, and history. Discrimination is also reported frequently among Syrian and other non-Ukrainian refugees in Germany, specifically in job, housing, and political markets. Germany requires new integration policies that do not actively work to erase the identities, experiences, and practices of its refugees. Many have called for increased refugee representation and diversity in parliament, but little success has been seen. After seeing the response of Germany to Ukrainians, many call for equal support and solidarity of all refugees seeking asylum in Germany.
