2012

• In January, the Second Report on Indicators of Integration, mandated by the German Federal Government, finds a positive trend in the extent to which residents with an immigrant background integrate into German society. While the report points to progress made in key areas such as education and employment, it concludes overall that immigrants and their children still struggle noticeably more than citizens without an immigrant background. In several areas, the German government was unable to reach its own goals regarding its efforts to increase the integration of its immigrant residents.
• The administrative court in Munich rejects the lawsuit of a teacher whose appointment as a tenured civil servant was turned down by the government. While authorities claim they had to deny the teacher’s appointment on grounds of affiliations with Islamist organizations, the plaintiff asserts that his dealings and interests were misinterpreted and did not present an obstacle to his loyalty to the constitution.
• The discussion paper “Giving Language to the Next Generation. The Effects of Language Development Support during Early Childhood” (“Dem Nachwuchs eine Sprache geben. Was frühkindliche Sprachförderung leisten kann”), published by the Berlin Institute for Population and Development (Berlin-Institut für Bevölkerung und Entwicklung), highlights the influence parents have on the German language skills of children stemming from immigrant families. Parents who are native speakers of German and eager to offer their children the best education often enroll their children in preschools that have fewer children with an immigrant background in attendance. The study concludes that the segregation of children without and children with immigrant backgrounds is thus even greater between preschools than it is between neighborhoods, which negatively impacts the ability of young non-native speakers to learn German. Only a few weeks later, the Federal Statistical Office reports that the opportunities for children with an immigrant background to interact with non-immigrant children are already relatively low because they are often not enrolled in any preschool programs.
• On January 26, the Bundestag investigation committee “Terror Group National Socialist Underground” (“Untersuchungsausschuss Terrorgruppe Nationalsozialistischer Untergrund/ NSU-Untersuchungsausschuss”) begins its work. The committee is charged with shedding light on the NSU, better known as the Zwickau Terror Cell, the group’s killings, and the involvement of governmental institutions. The committee should also make recommendations to improve the effectiveness and collaboration of authorities in the fight against right-wing terrorism. The committee starts its work days after the revelation that more confidential informants than originally thought were in close contact with the NSU. This discovery, as well as the allegation that investigating police officers were in contact with the Ku-Klux-Klan, fuel the political scandal about the extent to which government agencies were aware of and even involved in the right-wing extremists’ activities.
• At the 5. Integration Summit (Integrationsgipfel) at the end of January, the Federal Government introduces its “National Action Plan on Integration” (“Nationaler Aktionsplan Integration”), which outlines several distinct measures and policies designed to further integration. The government hopes that the plan will not only facilitate the integration of immigrants but also increase the accountability of governmental institutions in implementing their own goals.
• A mall owner’s plan to primarily lease out stores to fellow Muslims causes concern and indignation in Hamburg-Harburg.
• As part of the Rhenish Carnival celebrations in February, the televised stand-up performance of German dentist Patricia Lowin, who assumes the role of a Turkish cleaning lady dressed in a headscarf and speaks only broken German in her show “Doner-TV,” causes a debate about the limits of humor and comedy’s relationship to racism.
• On February 17, Christian Wulff (CDU) resigns as President of Germany due to allegations of corruption during his tenure as Prime Minister of Lower Saxony. Spokespersons for several organizations representing minorities and immigrants express disappointment at losing Wulff, whom many credit for putting integration issues on the political agenda and view as an advocate of integration.
• On February 23, Semiya Simsek, whose father Enver Simsek was murdered by the National Socialist Underground (Nationalsozialistischer Untergrund (NSU)) in 2000, holds an emotional speech at the official commemoration ceremony for the victims of the NSU, describing her and her family’s despair about her father’s murder, the long-lasting ignorance of German authorities, and the existence of right-wing terrorism in contemporary Germany. During the ceremony, chancellor Angela Merkel asks the victims’ families for forgiveness and declares the killings a “shame for our country.”
• In February, Heike Wiese garners attention with her book Kiezdeutsch. A New Dialect Emerges (Kiezdeutsch. Ein neuer Dialekt entsteht), in which she argues that the German spoken by young people in urban areas with high numbers of residents with an immigration background is, in linguistic terms, a dialect and does not butcher the German language, as critics of Kiezdeutsch have argued in the past.
• The month of March begins with a controversy over the findings of a study about young Muslims living in Germany, “Living Experiences of Young Muslims in Germany” (“Lebenswelten junger Muslime in Deutschland”). At the end of February, the Bild publishes a first summary of the study, which was mandated by the Federal Government, along with a response by Hans-Peter Friedrich, Minister of the Interior (CSU). The article alleges that the “shock study” (“Schock-Studie”) reveals a high potential of radicalism and unwillingness to integrate among young Muslims, especially those without a German passport, a conclusion that Friedrich acknowledges by stating that such attitudes as well as their supporters are not welcome in Germany. In addition to the Bild article, Friedrich’s response in a subsequent interview becomes a further bone of contention, as other critics as well as the authors of the study express their dismay over both the Bild and Friedrich’s interpretations. Critics point out that the Bild and Friedrich ignored and even distorted the main findings of the study, which actually conclude that the integration of young Muslims overall shows a positive trend, and that many believers evaluate their faith quite differently. Only a minority of young Muslims holds a more radical world view and disapproves of the West. The controversy is further fueled by questions about the Bild’s exclusive access to the study, and Friedrich eventually admits that the tabloid indeed received the study from his ministry early.
• In March, the Federal Committee for Integration releases its 10 Point Plan for fighting racism, xenophobia, and right-wing extremism. The government’s strategy, for instance, includes the stricter enforcement of the criminal code, more educational campaigns, and better cooperation among governmental institutions.
• Inan Türkmen, whose parents emigrated from Turkey to Austria in the 1980s, catches the media’s attention in March with his book We are coming (Wir kommen), which highlights the economic and social areas in which Turks outperform the rest of Europe. Chapters such as “We are more” or “We are younger” prompt reviewers to christen Türkmen’s praise of Turkish society and alleged typical characteristics the “anti-Sarrazin book,” in reference to Thilo Sarrazin’s highly successful, yet controversial book Germany Does Away with Itself: How We are Gambling Away our Country (Deutschland schafft sich ab. Wie wir unser Land aufs Spiel setzen (2010)). Despite his criticism of Sarrazin and other detractors of Turkish culture, Türkmen’s motivation for writing about the benefits of Turkish immigration and dominance, as one reviewer noted, derives from emotions similar to those that affect the average Sarrazinian “enraged citizen” (“Wutbürger”).
• Nine years after failing to ban the National Democratic Party of Germany (Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (NPD)), the German government gets ready for a second attempt to prohibit the far-right party. A major cause for concern is the question of how to deal with over one hundred confidential informants currently providing federal agencies with information about the party and its activities.
• On March 23, Joachim Gauck is inaugurated as Germany’s new president. In his first speech, Gauck warns right-wing, as well as other, extremists: “Your hatred is our incentive. We do not turn our backs on our country. We also do not give you our fear. You will be history and our democracy will live.” Gauck, the first president from the former GDR, also calls for more European integration and confidence in Germany’s ability as a nation to face current challenges.
• The Berlin labor court rules that banning employees working in the private sector from wearing a headscarf, or not hiring them for wearing one, is unlawful if no objective grounds for a ban exist.
• In April, a new law regulating the accreditation of foreign degrees comes into effect: it is supposed to facilitate the recognition of foreign credentials and give immigrants the legal right to receive notification within three months. However, government agencies are not prepared to provide the new legally required services.
• On April 4, Günter Grass, Nobel laureate in Literature in 1999, triggers a fierce, emotional debate with his highly controversial poem “What must be said” (“Was gesagt werden muss”) , which is first published in Die Süddeutsche Zeitung, La Repubblica, and El País. The poem criticizes Israel’s considerations of carrying out a pre-emptive strike against Iran, Germany’s indirect involvement in such a war as an arms supplier of the Israeli forces, and the German taboo of criticizing Israeli politics. Critics overwhelmingly accuse Grass of anti-Semitism, while supporters praise his courage to initiate a debate in German society about Israel’s controversial plans. In response to Grass’s poem, the Israeli government bans the poet from travelling to the country indefinitely, leading Grass to compare Israel to the GDR.
• In mid-April, the Salafist organization “The True Religion” distributes free samples of the Koran in several German cities. In addition to this campaign, controversial statements and threats against journalists made by its organizers cause debate about appropriate measures against radical Islamist groups. The issue also receives attention at this year’s German Islam Conference (Deutsche Islam Konferenz) and leads to the ban of the Salafist group “Millatu Ibrahim” in June.
• On April 17, Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU), Germany’s Minister of the Interior, and his French colleague, Claude Guéant, fuel discussion about a reform of the Schengen Agreement when they argue that individual nation states should have the right to re-introduce border controls for up to thirty days. The debate about the Schengen Agreement thus reaches a new climax after Denmark considered the permanent reintroduction of border controls last May.
• The case of another so-called “honor killing” garners the attention of the German media: the court accuses the siblings of nineteen-old Arzu Ö. of murdering their sister. Arzu Ö.’s death re-opens the debate about the plight of women living in Germany whose life choices collide with the worldviews of their families.
• At the end of April, a study by Amnesty International points to different ways in which Muslims, based on their traditions, origins, and gender, are discriminated against in Europe, often with the aid of local politicians and policies. The report particularly highlights legal discrimination against Muslim women.
• On April 27, the Bundestag passes a law implementing the “Blue Card”. The Blue Card makes it easier for highly-skilled, non-European professionals to reside and work in the European Union. Germany believes that the introduction of the Blue Card increases the desirability of the German labor market for educated non-Europeans.
• At the beginning of May, the Council of Experts of German Foundations for Integration and Migration (Sachverständigenrat deutscher Stiftungen für Integration und Migration (SVR)) publishes its 2012 assessment of the effectiveness of the collaboration between federal agencies, state authorities, and local institutions in regards to issues of integration. While the report evaluates integration efforts positively, it highlights that authorities on all levels of government need to improve their cooperation and networking strategies. As a reviewer notes, the situation of immigrants from South East Europe, particularly from Hungary and Romania, illustrates the importance of effective governmental structures.
• In an interview in May, Orhan Pamuk, Nobel Laureate in Literature and recent recipient of the Sonning Prize, Denmark’s largest cultural award, expresses his belief that many Turks have lost their faith in the European Union in the face of Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy’s attitudes toward Turkey and Europe’s financial crisis.
• In an interview with Die Zeit, Joachim Gauck, Germany’s latest President, states his scepticism about his predecessor’s Christian Wulff’s sentiment that Islam belongs to Germany. “The reality is that many Muslims live in this country. I would have just said that Muslims who live here belong to Germany.” Gauck’s statements begin another debate on Islam and Muslim’s place in German society.
• In June, the Institute for the Study of Labor publishes the discussion paper “The Impact of Immigration on the Well-Being of Natives,” which argues that the settlement of immigrants has a positive effect on the native German population. The authors believe that immigrants contribute to the happiness of natives because they often work in the service industry and enrich the local culture and food industry. Consequently, the effect of immigration on the well-being of natives decreases if immigrants are either least or fully integrated in the local economy.
• On June 26, a German court declares the practice of circumcision for religious reasons liable to prosecution because it meets the criteria of bodily harm. The decision causes wide outrage and heated debate not only in Germany but internationally. To clarify the legal position, the Bundestag passes new regulations that legalize circumcision for religious reasons in December. However, a majority of Germans continue to oppose the law.
• In mid-July, a German court bars the deportation of a Palestinian family seeking asylum from Germany to Italy, as it argues that the family would have to live beneath human dignity in Italian refugee camps. This decision is similar to other instances in which asylum seekers were not extradited to Italy and, especially, Greece, for the same reasons and exemplifies Europe’s problematic refugee policy.
• The Central Council of Muslims in Germany (Zentralrat der Muslime in Deutschland) welcomes the FIFA’s decision to lift the ban on head scarfs and calls it “an important step [for Muslims] toward normality and unlimited participation in all aspects of social life.”
• In August, local politicians of the CDU party in Bremen stoke xenophobic resentment when they claim that the ethnic origin of criminal offenders who are German nationals with an immigrant background is the source of their delinquent behavior.
• On August 26, the official commemoration of the 1992 xenophobic attacks on asylum seekers and an apartment complex for Vietnamese contract workers in Rostock-Lichtenhagen takes place. President Joachim Gauck addresses the complicity of ordinary citizens and his own outrage quite frankly, saying that there is “no excuse for lacking responsibility and professionalism,” and calling for practicing a “well-fortified democracy.” However, the city’s choice of an oak tree, one of the typical symbols of German nationalism, as a memorial raises more than a few eyebrows among left-wing critics.
• At the end of August, the “Missing” campaign, which uses fictitious missing person posters to raise awareness of radicalization among young Muslims, is criticized for stigmatizing young immigrants and is forced to withdraw plans to distribute its posters.
• On September 1, journalist Ferdos Forudastan assumes the job of spokesperson for President Joachim Gauck. The nomination of Forudastan, as observers note, symbolizes a step forward in the recognition of immigrants, as Gauck has often been criticized in the past for his political inexperience in issues relating to migration and integration.
• Some support agencies for asylum seekers experience difficulties in housing all of their clients, as the number of asylum seekers increases by over thirty percent compared to the year before. At the beginning of September, a group of refugees marches from Würzburg to Berlin to protest the strict regulations that govern asylum seekers’ lives in Germany. In Berlin, some members of the group go on hunger strike and attempt to set up camp in front of the Brandenburger Tor.
• In mid-September, the Federal Statistical Office (Statistische Bundesamt) announces that the number of foreign students graduating from German universities has increased. However, the study “Mobile Talent” (Mobile Talente) by the Council of Experts of German Foundations for Integration and Migration (Sachverständigenrat deutscher Stiftungen für Integration und Migration (SVR)) from April showed that foreign, non-European graduates find it rather difficult to remain and work in Germany after finishing their studies.
• In October, the migration of thousands of Roma and Sinti in the last years begins to garner attention, as several German cities declare being overwhelmed by the recent increase in migrants and asylum seekers. The public debate, which continues well into 2013, focuses, for example, on the poor living conditions and discrimination in their home countries as well as in Germany and the question whether the German welfare system is responsible for their wellbeing.
• This month also marks the beginning of the rise of Heinz Buschkowsky’s book Neukölln Is Everywhere (Neukölln ist überall) to the top of Spiegel’s bestseller list. Buschkowsky, who has been the mayor of Neukölln, a district of Berlin, for over ten years, argues that integration and multiculturalism has failed in Germany. His views receive much approval but also criticism.
• On November 3, the traveling exhibition “Homestory Deutschland: Black Biographies from History and the Present” opens in Cologne. Organizers hope to show that “black people have lived in Germany for hundreds of years” and that this is simply “a reality of everyday life.”
• At the end of November, a German court orders a sixty-one-year-old, illiterate Turkish woman who has been living in Germany for over thirty years and does not speak German to attend integration and language classes.
• The first OECD Report on Integration finds that unskilled children of immigrants have better chances of getting a job in Germany than in other countries. However, this group is still significantly less often employed than the uneducated children of non-immigrants.
• In December, Tuvia Tenenbom’s I Sleep in Hitler’s Room. An American Jew Visits Germany (Allein unter Deutschen. Eine Entdeckungsreise) causes a heated debate about the prevalence and nature of anti-Semitism in Germany today.
• At the end of the year, more than 82 Million people live in Germany. The increase in population is solely based on immigration, not birthrates, as, for the first time since the 1990s, in 2012 over 300 000 more people moved to the country than left it.