Events
GPI Exchange: Immigration, Integration and Right-wing Populism in Germany
Europe does not like immigrants
On Monday, December 3 the Global Policy Institute (GPI) and BAU International University jointly hosted a GPI Exchange event titled: “Immigration, Integration and Right-wing Populism in Germany”. The presenter was Mr. Ozcan Mutlu, a Turkish-German Green Party politician. Mutlu is a former Member of Parliament, and a Green Party expert on educational and integration policies. GPI President Paolo von Schirach moderated the event.
Mutlu discussed how stronger anti-immigrant and xenophobic parties in Germany and in other EU countries are changing Europe’s political landscape, making life more difficult for all newcomers. In particular he stressed how new immigrants in Germany are not given a full opportunity to integrate and connect with the rest of society. Anti-immigrant political forces in turn are suspicious of all new comers, Muslims in particular.
Mutlu pointed out that the only way to lessen these tensions is by providing education to the immigrants so that they can more easily find their way into the main stream, and to the rest of the population so that they will not fall prey of irrational prejudice and xenophobic bigotry. True enough, Mutlu acknowledged, there have been some instances of political violence and well publicized acts of terrorism caused by some radicalized Muslim immigrants. But the vast majority of the immigrants are peaceful, law abiding citizens.
More broadly, the speaker pointed out that, looking beyond Germany, the emergence of similar anti-immigrant movements in several other European countries, (Poland, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Sweden, France), is an indication of real difficulties in finding ways to integrate so many newcomers.
Full video of the event is available here.
Short video of the event is available here.
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