Multikulti and Integration Among Germany’s Refugee Population
There are those who advocate for greater diversity and inclusion. There are those who argue that “Multikulti,” or a multicultural society undermines national identity and cohesion. Yet, the topic of migration and specifically accepting refugees has been an extensive and complex issue discussed in Germany. In this blog post, I discuss my opinion on how Germany has been doing regarding multiculturalism and areas of improvement.
In recent years, Germany has faced significant challenges in dealing with the influx of refugees from Syria and other conflict zones. While it is true that the nation took in hundreds of thousands of refugees, the process of integration has been difficult. Some refugees, as discussed in class, have struggled to find housing, employment, and access to basic necessities, while others continue to deal with discrimination and hostility with segments of the population.
In this context, Germany’s system appears to be more streamlined for refugees than the United States’, whose immigration process is universally agreed to be broken. From the perspective of simply admitting immigrants and refugees, Germany is doing quite well. However, this is not to say that such immigrants are not struggling in Germany; after all, stories of discrimination and inequities in access to social services constantly appear. As a result, the country and its government must continue to address these inequalities and ensure that refugees and immigrants have equal opportunities as native-born Germans.
Going deeper, how Germans stratify differing refugees and immigrants is also a very complex topic, one that cannot be generalized to all Germans. That being said, our class discussion presented interesting ideas revolving around deep-rooted religious alignment within Europe more so than other parts of the world, which can be a factor among many others that contribute to differing social views of Syrian and Ukrainian refugees. Historically, there is also a difference in channels of arrival between Syrians and Ukrainians: the former predominantly move to Germany through the asylum process while the latter have had other channels such as family reunification and work visas. It is important to explore the nuances between these groups beyond mere ethnic background which can explain structural differences in treatment.
All in all, Germany’s experience with migration and refugees sheds light on ongoing efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion while addressing historical reasons for contributing to discrimination and exclusion of refugees and new arrivals to the country. The country may be excelling in bringing people in, but more needs to be done toward the process after and integration. In doing so, refugees and other migrants can more effectively thrive and contribute to Germany’s future.
