Reworked Article: Migrants, Unions, and Rights Groups Urge New Government for Fair Migration Policies
300 Catalan Organizations Pressure New Administration for Supportive Immigration Policy Regulation - Approximately 300 organizations advocate for a thoughtful and responsible immigration policy from the incoming administration.
With the new government set to take office, a plethora of associations — from labor unions like the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and Paritätischer Gesamtverband, to human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, and migrant groups at federal, state, and local levels — have banded together to voice their concerns over the country's ongoing migration policies. In a paper released ahead of the government's inauguration this week, these groups called for a more humane and inclusive approach to migration, one that doesn't scapegoat refugees for society's problems.
"It's not refugees and migrants, but a long-ignored policy that exacerbates our nation’s social issues that is the root cause of the strain on local communities and various professions," the signatories assert. Instead of blaming immigrants, the signatories contend that responsible policymaking should address the underlying social, political, and financial factors contributing to the strain on municipalities and industries. In actuality, refugees offer "valuable contributions" across multiple sectors, enriching our society as a whole.
The document casts a critical eye on the divisive rhetoric employed during the election campaign, particularly the attacks aimed at refugees and migrants. This heated discourse, they lament, has found its way into the coalition agreement between the Union and SPD, promoting division and fostering fear. "This must end," demand the leaders of the initiative.
The call to action includes several key demands:
- A responsible migration policy that respects the rights of individuals, especially the right to asylum. Border rejections, deportations, and reversals of the burden of proof in asylum proceedings are at odds with such a policy. The new government should not lose sight of the humanitarian and human rights values that comprise the foundation of our shared existence.
- A focus on integration and reception structures. Funding for civil society advisory bodies, support services, integration programs, and language courses must be secure, without the imposition of funding reservations. Barriers to qualification and employment for refugees should be dismantled.
- Refraining from shifting responsibility for refugee protection to third countries. Safe access routes to Germany through resettlement and reception programs should be instituted, rather than closed off.
The organizations implore the new federal government to rise to the occasion and champion an open society. They envision a society where immigration is seen as an opportunity, where migrants and refugees are treated as equals, and where openness and diversity serve as our greatest strengths.
Migration PolicyDGBFederal GovernmentAmnesty InternationalMigrants
- The newly elected government is urged by a coalition of labor unions, human rights organizations, and migrant groups to implement a community policy that promotes a humane and inclusive approach to migration, rather than blaming refugees for societal problems.
- The signatories of this call to action emphasize the indispensable role of migrants in various sectors, arguing that they enrich our society as a whole through valuable contributions.
- These associations demand that the new government prioritize a responsible migration policy that respects the rights of individuals, especially the right to asylum, and that refrains from border rejections, deportations, and the reversal of burden-of-proof in asylum proceedings.
- Furthermore, the groups advocate for the focus on integration and reception structures, advocating for secure funding for civil society advisory bodies, support services, integration programs, and language courses, without the imposition of funding reservations.
- The organizations also stress the importance of a structural migration policy that refrains from shifting the responsibility for refugee protection to third countries, advocating instead for safe access routes through resettlement and reception programs.
