Few topics in Germany spark as many heated debates as integration. How successful have efforts been to integrate new arrivals? What is needed to enable successful integration? And what are the biggest problems? Every two years, the government's Commissioner for Integration presents a comprehensive set of statistics on the matter. Since last year, that role has been held by Natalie Pawlik, a parliamentary representative from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Speaking in Berlin on Wednesday, Pawlik offered an overall positive assessment: "Integration is improving steadily, despite ongoing hurdles and challenges." She continued: "The people of our country want integration to succeed. They rightly expect that people who live in Germany permanently will learn our language and abide by our laws." The Commissioner for Integration is part of the Federal Ministry of Labor because ensuring that newcomers find work quickly is especially important.
Theintegration reportwas created by a team led by Frank Kalter, director of the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM), drawing on official government statistics, surveys and independent studies. They found that when all immigrant groups are counted, about 30% of the population today has some sort of immigrant background — even if that means only one parent.
Pawlik commented: "This is an important message at a time when the discussion often focuses primarily on problems…
