Equal Opportunities and Rights for Immigrants

The conference held at the Nippon Hotel in Taksim, Istanbul on May 3, was attended by many representatives from Germany.

Fugen Ugur, the representative of the Heinrich Boll Foundation in Turkey, and the organizer of the conference, stressed during her opening speech, that the allegations, which have also taken place in the media, that the "German foundations in Turkey are conducting secret studies," were not based on any solid evidence.

During the opening of the conference, Marieluise Beck, the German Federal Government Official Responsible for Foreign Immigrants, stated that the dual-nationality right granted to the immigrants is one of the most important cultural reforms in the world.

Beck also argued that the concept of "citizenship" should be questioned:

"Immigration in Germany is outrunning social consciousness and the laws. The question, 'What does it mean to be a German citizen?' is being discussed. This tells us that citizenship is not tied into ethnic foundations, but it is tied into a republican definition based in human rights."

Cooperation with Foreign Institutions

The speakers, Can Unver, the General Director of Foreign Affairs and Services for Workers Abroad of the Turkish Ministry of Labor and Social Security, Ralf Fucks, a member of the board of directors of the Heinrich Boll Foundation, Aytac Eryilmaz, the representative of the Center for the Documentation of Immigration from Turkey of the State Institute of Statistics (DOMIT), Prof. Dr. Kemal Kirisci, a faculty member at the Bogazici University in Istanbul, and Ali Yurttagul, the Secretary of the Fraction of the Greens in the European Parliament, discussed the extent of immigration from Turkey to Germany, and the laws that will be passed, about the rights granted to the immigrants.

At the beginning of the meeting, Orhan Silier, the representative of the Economic and Social History Foundation of Turkey, who headed the meeting, criticized those who define the cooperation between the Turkish NGOs and the foreign foundations and institutions, as "separatism."

Ralf Fucks started his speech by emphasizing that their decisions are independent from those of the government and the political parties, although they represent the objectives and principles of the Greens, and get financial support from the federal budget.

Equal Opportunities for the Immigrants

Talking about the new Immigration Law, Fucks stated that Germany should take a limited and regulated approach to allowing foreigners in the country and accept immigrants based on certain conditions.

Fucks argued that if the immigrants were granted equal opportunities in every field as German citizens, this would lead to integration:

* The Immigration Law is a transition period to a regular immigration. These laws did not open Germany's doors to everybody. On the contrary, the new law regulates the immigration process depending on Germany's dire economic needs. Potential immigrants will be judged according things like their qualifications, age, education and marital status.

* With this law, the political immigrants' right to receive asylum, will become more comprehensive. Single-handed women who are being repressed will be granted the right to immigrate.

* At a time of an aging population,when immigration is no longer a burden, but has important contributions to the economy, we ought to accept the need for a young and dynamic population.

"The Communities that Accept Immigrants should Create a Work of Art"

* Although the economic, political and trade union elites are against accepting foreign workers, they will realize in the long run, that we need immigrants. Unfortunately, foreign workers are still viewed as competitors in the deployment market.

* The September 11 attacks have altered the way in which German society views immigrants. Immigration got tied with safety, and started to be seen as an element of danger and threat to the internal security of the nation.

* All the ethnical discrepancies are results of unemployment, maladjustments at school, and other social problems, that the immigrant youth are faced with. The communities that accept immigrants should create a big work of art. This is only possible through accepting living together under a common citizenship, not through regarding ethnical diversity as a threat.

* Immigrants should not view themselves as minorities anymore. And for this to be possible, the immigrants should be granted rights of equal accession and equal opportunities.

"Integration is a Political Mission"

Ali Yurttagul, the Secretary of the Fraction of the Greens in the European Parliament, stated that integration is a political mission.

Yurttagul said that, granting equal rights to the immigrants is the first step of the new laws that will be passed:

"The governing coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens, are being accused of not passing certain laws at the parliament, that grant rights to the immigrants. However, the decisions of the coalition are not sufficient for passing a certain law."

Touching on the increase in the votes for the racist Le Pen in France, Aytac Eryilmaz stated that the majority of the votes Le Pen received, came from regions where immigrants did not live in.

Eryilmaz argued that living collectively with the immigrants, and a strong integration policy, would solve many problems including racism.

One of the listeners at the meeting criticized the speakers for not touching on the subject of racism. On this criticism, Marieluise Beck stated that the biggest problem immigrants were faced with, was not racism, but was the lack of rights that they should be granted, and a more comprehensive integration policy.

On the last day of the conference, the main topics of discussion were, "Immigration and Integration," "Immigrants and Immigration in Germany's Politics," and "The New Immigration Law in Germany." (ÖG/FA)