Key Findings
Best practice (100% score)
Political liberties
Favourable
Implementation policies for political participation
Unfavourable
Equality policies for anti-discrimination
Critically unfavourable (0% score)
Electoral rights for political participation
Change over time
More favourable fields of application and enforcement mechanisms for anti-discrimination
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Overview
The number of asylum seekers, temporary workers and family members moving to Germany continues to fall. Migrants from the EU-8 still face ‘transitional measures' restricting their work in Germany, though Poles form the largest group of seasonal workers. Although migration for work increased from 2004 to 2006, most third country-nationals (hereafter ‘migrants') come to Germany for family reunion. According to the new 2005 German Microcensus, the foreign-born or their children represent 20% of the population1. Policy debates have focussed on the need to attract high-skilled workers, the content of a national integration plan, and restrictions on the right to family reunion. When Germany held the Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2007, it prioritised the exchange of best practice on integration and intercultural dialogue.
With a consistently average performance, Germany's six areas of integration policy score either slightly favourably (family reunion and political participation) or around halfway to best practice (labour market access, anti-discrimination, access to nationality and long-term residence).
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Integration Policy Timeline
05/2006
Conference of Interior ministers agreed Länder can determine the content of their own naturalisation tests
07/07/2006
Equality Act transposed EC Directives on anti-discrimination
14/07/2006
First Integration Summit prepared national integration plan, focus on integration courses, language training, labour market integration, cultural pluralism, media, and gender
17/07/2006
Family reunion waiting period extended, and German nationals receiving welfare prohibited from sponsoring spouse
27/09/2006
German Islam Conference
10/01/2007
Federal Constitutional Court affirmed ban on dual nationality
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Migrant Profile
