Opportunities in the Crisis

Furthermore, not all of those who are employed work in qualified professions. There are various obstacles, for example with regard to the recognition of professional qualifications. There is hardly any country in the world with a system comparable to Germany's dual training system, this makes it extremely difficult to prove that qualifications are equal.

ifa: Your lecture was followed by a panel discussion which included representatives from Greek communities. What issues did the discussion focus on?

Bendel: For example, we discussed how integration courses are managed in Germany and what residential status refugees must have in order to attend a German course, also in comparison to Greece. In November 2019, the new conservative Greek government under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis tightened its Asylum Act. Now, only recognised refugees are to be entitled to attend a language course. The asylum procedures are to be accelerated and applicants are to be rejected more quickly within the scope of the so-called EU Refugee Agreement and sent back to Turkey.

I spoke to representatives of NGOs. They fear that this will undermine the right of people in search of protection to have their asylum application fully examined. The representatives of the communities, however, have signalled a high level of openness and pragmatism regarding local integration.

ifa: According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about 74,500 people arrived in Greece last year alone. What is the Greek government doing to integrate these people?

Bendel: Up until now, the government has shown little interest in integrating these people quickly and effectively. There are hardly any integration measures, such as Greek courses, even for recognised refugees. Some individual offers from NGOs are available, such as free language courses and childcare, but they are just a drop in the bucket.

Naturally, the prerequisites, especially the economic ones, are different from those in Germany: unemployment among young people is extremely high and the lack of capacity of the Greek labour and housing markets means that refugees must compete directly with many Greeks. Of course, this is reflected in public opinion. Many Greeks are sceptical about refugees.

ifa: How does the humanitarian situation on the mainland compare to the overcrowded refugee camps on the Aegean islands?

Bendel: Although Skaramangas is not as overcrowded as the camps on the islands, the situation there is desperate. The people have a lot of children and you have to ask yourself what is to become of them. We are watching a lost generation grow up there. Skaramangas reminded me very much of the refugee shelters in Germany in September 2015. The equipment is extremely basic, a lot is improvised but you can't say that it is badly organised.

The people working there are doing a fantastic job using the most basic equipment and showing a huge amount of commitment. The military that controls the camps criticises the illegal shops that have been established in recent years. There is a barber shop, a shisha bar, a restaurant, even a tattoo studio. But the government seems to tolerate these shops, because for many refugees this is the only way to keep themselves occupied.

ifa: After his trip to Greece in November 2019, the Home Secretary of Lower Saxony, Boris Pistorius, suggested that unaccompanied minors should be brought to Germany. The federal government opposed such a solo effort on Germany's part, arguing that this could send out the wrong signals in the negotiations for a new European asylum system. How should Germany position itself here?

Bendel: There are large networks and initiatives from committed communities, not just in Germany but throughout Europe, that are willing to voluntarily accept more refugees. These cities and communities could be supported by European funds and given the right to have a more direct say in the distribution of refugees. The federal government should amend the laws in Germany accordingly and understand that this willingness on the part of the communities is an opportunity and not a risk.

Although Skaramangas is not as overcrowded as the camps on the islands, the situation there is desperate. [...] We are watching a lost generation grow up there.

In other words, we need a 'Coalition of the Willing' in Europe to take in refugees. Germany has committed itself to such a coalition, at least as far as those rescued at sea are concerned. Nevertheless, we need a reform of the European asylum system. This was also repeatedly an issue in the discussions in Greece.

ifa: In July, Germany will take over the EU Presidency. What do you expect from the federal government with regard to the migration policy?

Bendel: The EU Presidency is a huge opportunity for Germany to position itself as an intermediary in the negotiations for a new EU asylum system. And there is no doubt that we are perceived as an honest mediator, precisely because our policy of the past few years is credible.

The SVR can also envisage a flexible model in which the responsibilities for border security, development cooperation as well as the intake and integration of refugees are distributed among various member states. As the largest donor of development aid in the EU, Germany would be responsible for development cooperation and, of course, for integration, because we have shown that we know how to do this.

ifa: What exactly does integration mean to you?

Bendel: Integration is something that everyone is responsible for. It refers not only to immigrants or people from migrant backgrounds: integration is the equal opportunity for everyone to participate in the central areas of social life. But it is also an ongoing process, and good results are never guaranteed. SVR's founding chairman, Klaus Bade, once phrased this very nicely, 'Integration is an enabling strategy.' Its objective is to give all the people who live here the possibility to make full use of their skills and talents by mobilising their abilities, including their dreams of a better life.

The EU Presidency is a huge opportunity for Germany to position itself as an intermediary in the negotiations for a new EU asylum system.

Bendel: Yes, language can be a treacherous thing and terms such as 'refugee crisis', 'wave of refugees' and 'influx of refugees' convey fear and threatening scenarios. We must rise above the agitation that has dominated this topic. A more differentiated reporting could certainly help to achieve this.

ifa: A Central Museum of Migration is to be built in Cologne by 2023, and at the beginning of this year Berlin's alien registration authority renamed itself the 'Berlin Immigration Office'. What influence do such steps have on people's positive attitude towards immigration?

Bendel: This is an issue that the SVR will deal with more intensively in future. What kind of a society have we become? And what actually is the social putty that holds this extremely diverse society together? Steps such as these can send out a signal to show what kind of a society we want to be, namely one that understands migration as diversity.

Interview by Juliane Pfordte