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Integration Report Lists Achievements and Areas Where More Work Is Needed

Integration Report Lists Achievements and Areas Where More Work Is Needed
Saxony sees progress in the integration of migrants, but also areas where more work is needed. (File photo) / Photo: Hendrik Schmidt/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
From: DieSachsen News
New Funding Guidelines, More Opportunities: What Saxony’s Integration Report Reveals About Successes, Discrimination, and Unresolved Issues.

Saxony sees successes in the integration of immigrants, but also areas where there is room for improvement. Overall, the state is in a good position compared to the rest of Germany, said Social Affairs Minister Petra Köpping (SPD) during the presentation of the Free State’s first Integration and Participation Report. “About 25 percent of students with foreign citizenship earn their Abitur in Saxony. That is twice as high as the national and East German averages.”

The proportion of adult migrants with a college degree is also above the national average, Köpping said. The childcare coverage rate for children with a migrant background in Saxony is also above the national and East German averages. “That, too, is a success.”

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Employment Rate Below National Average

The minister acknowledged that this has not yet been fully reflected in the labor market. Although a clear trend of catching up is evident among the employed population, the national average has not yet been reached. Nationwide, the employment rate for people with a migrant background stands at 68 percent, while in Saxony and the other eastern states it is 62 percent.

Migrants Experience Discrimination

Köpping also addressed the need to improve contact between locals and immigrants. “The data on societal and social integration show that there is less contact between people with and without a migration background in Saxony than the national average. More people with a migration background experience discrimination.”

Cabinet Approves New Funding Guidelines for Integration

Köpping presented the report to the cabinet on Tuesday morning. The government also adopted the new funding guideline “Integration of Immigrants.” It replaces the “Integrative Measures” funding guideline, which expires on June 30. It applies not only to refugees but to all immigrants, including international skilled workers and EU citizens. 

Support Is Being Expanded

In the future, small and medium-sized enterprises will also be able to apply for support, for example, for language training for employees with limited German language skills. Funding is also available for measures to “strengthen intercultural competence,” the work of migrant organizations active statewide, and the care of refugees with mental health issues or trauma in psychosocial centers.

According to statistics, approximately 450,000 people with foreign roots lived in Saxony in 2023; in 2011, the figure was around 150,000. Saxony has taken in more than 70,000 people from Ukraine, which has been affected by Russia’s war of aggression. Over 37,000 people have been granted protection status as asylum seekers and recognized refugees.

Integration remains an integral part of everyday life

Integration is not a temporary task, but rather “an integral part of our everyday life,” said Köpping. The process must be continually adapted. Successful integration is a tool for mitigating the effects of an aging population and the looming shortage of skilled workers.

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