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)