Delving into the Federal Administration's Representation of Immigrants and Their Descendants
Limited family members of immigrants holding roles in the federal government - Immigrant offspring in key government positions
Immigrants and their descendants continue to be significantly underrepresented in the federal administrative bureaucracy, despite ongoing efforts to promote diversity. This is evident from a recent survey by the Integration Commissioner's office which revealed that only 16.2% of employees in the federal administration had a migrant background in the previous year, a 3.1% increase from five years ago.
The proportion of the working-age population with a migrant background is approximately twice as high at 31.9%. The survey defined an individual with a migrant background as someone who, themselves or one of their parents, does not possess German citizenship by birth.
Integration Commissioner Pawlik calls for action
As Integration Commissioner Natalie Pawlik put it, "We must capitalize on the potential of individuals with an immigration history in public service more effectively."
The survey questioned over 50,000 employees in 73 federal entities in May and June of the previous year. The data currently released also shows that individuals with a migrant background are disproportionately subject to discrimination compared to their colleagues without an immigration history. Factors such as gender, age, ethnic origin, religion, disability, family obligations, appearance, skin color, and lack of professional networks were among those considered.
Key Insights from Federal Politics
Ethnic Discrimination in the Workplace
While 15.6% of employees without an immigration history reported experiences of discrimination, the proportion was 23.6% among those who had immigrated themselves, and more than a quarter (25.6%) of descendants of immigrants reported discrimination at work.
The federal cabinet announced a strategy titled "Together for more diversity in the federal administration" back in January, reflecting the traffic light government at the time. However, the strategy document did not include specific guidelines. The federal authorities were advised to "define internal goals for promoting diversity and derive corresponding individual measures" and foster the establishment of employee networks.
- Federal Administration
- Immigrants
- Representation
- Discrimination
- Berlin
Additional Insights
The federal strategy aimed to boost the representation of people with a migrant background and address workplace discrimination within the German federal administration through various specific measures. Although the precise measures from the strategy document were not provided in the search results, general objectives and approaches associated with similar federal diversity strategies can be inferred based on the German government's recent inclusivity priorities and democracy-strengthening policies.
Key expected measures include:
- Targeted Recruitment and Hiring Practices: Establishing targeted recruitment and selection procedures to attract and increase the number of candidates with a migrant background.
- Training and Awareness Programs: Offering anti-discrimination and diversity training for federal employees and leaders to foster an inclusive workplace culture and reduce biases and discrimination against employees with a migrant background.
- Monitoring and Reporting: Implementing monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track the representation of individuals with a migrant background in federal positions and respond to incidents of discrimination.
- Support Structures: Building mentoring, networking, and support programs tailored for employees with a migrant background to facilitate career development and integration within the administration.
- Policy Frameworks: Aligning internal federal policies with broader government strategies for democracy, openness, and diversity to ensure lasting commitment and accountability.
These measures align with the broader federal government strategies to promote democracy, fight extremism, and create an open and diverse society as mentioned in related government documents from mid-2025[1]. For further details or specific measures in the diversity strategy, consulting the official document "Together for more diversity in the federal administration" from the Federal Ministry of the Interior or related publications would provide the full specifics.
- To address the underrepresentation of immigrants and their descendants in the federal administrative bureaucracy, the federal strategy suggested implementing targeted recruitment and hiring practices, offering diversity and anti-discrimination training, establishing monitoring and reporting mechanisms, and creating support structures for employees with a migrant background.
- The Federal Administration's diversity strategy also aimed to reduce workplace discrimination against individuals with a migrant background by aligning internal policies with broader government strategies for democracy, openness, and diversity, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture through mentoring, networking, and career development programs.
