CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS IN THE
GERMAN-SPEAKING COUNTRIES- IRE214
Fall 2018 Final Session
Maya Hadar
 Short Comparative Summary
 Contemporary Challenges
 European Union Refugees Crisis
 Immigrants in Germany vs. immigrants in Austia
 The final exam
 Feedback
On the Agenda for Today2
The Alpine Countries
• Formerly an empire
ruled by the Habsburgs,
who controlled
much of Europe
• Independent since 1600s (Bern)• Located
in Alps, mountainous
terrain
• Occupied by Germany
during World War II
• Federal Republic (Vienna)
• German language &
cultural influence
• EU Member
• Democratic government
• Diverse economies, foreign
operations, manufacturing,
tourism
• Confederation of 26 cantons
• Politically neutral- haven for
foreign industry+ business
• Has not joined EU or NATO
• French, Italian, German, Romansh
languages common
Austria Switzerland
3
• Western, Rich, Successful
Austria vs. Germany
• Formerly an empire
ruled by the Habsburgs,
who controlled
much of Europe
• Federal Republic (Berlin)
• Occupied by Germany
during World War II
• Federal Republic (Vienna)
• German language &
cultural influence
• EU Member
• Diverse economies, tourism
• Protestant Reformation began
here by Martin Luther
• Protestants and Catholics are
equally represented
• Large surplus, exporting is very
important for the German economy
• Right wing increased in
power in recent elections
Austria Germany
4
• Right wing increased in
power in recent elections
• Democratic government
•Western, Rich, Successful
The Refugee Crisis- Context
 NOT a natural disaster, has concrete causes and was foreseeable
 The refugee crisis in Europe is NOT a new phenomena- it has been
present for years in specific countries (Greece, Macedonia and Italy), but
became a topic for massive news coverage for two main reasons:
1. It has penetrated from the periphery of Europe to the heart of the
European Union
2. Increasing scale of a humanitarian crisis at the back yard’s of the
rich and ‘enlightened’ west
5
 A picture of Aylan Kurdi,
a 3 year old child who
died in an attempt to
reach European
territory
 This image attracted
global attention to the
problem of refugees
and reflected the ‘cruel
reality of European’s
refugee crisis’
The Refugee Crisis- Context
6
The Refugee Crisis- Context
 The Arab spring => a series of pro-democracy social
mobilization/uprisings/protests that enveloped several largely Muslim
countries (Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Egypt & Bahrain)
 The events began in the spring of 2011, hence the name
 Ultimately resulted in regime changes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya
 Not all of the movements deemed successful in increasing democracy
& cultural freedom- for many countries the period since has been
hallmarked by increased instability and oppression (Syria, Libya)
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The Refugee Crisis- Context
 The war in Syria => civil war against president Bashad Al-Asad
 His family is controlling Syria for over 30 years
 Syria became the stage of war among Middle East powers, especially Saudi
Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and, more recently, Russia
 The Syrian civil war forced many to leave the country and seek refuge in
Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and throughout Western Europe
 For sometime, the militant group ISIS had declared a caliphate—a nation
governed by Islamic law—in north-eastern Syria
 Although ISIS has largely been defeated in Syria, the oppressive regime of
long-time dictator Bashar al Assad remains in power
8
 Since the beginning of the "Arab Spring" (2011), the number of people
trying to cross the Mediterranean sea and reach Europe has
considerably increased
 Applications from
citizens of nonmember
countries =>
a gradual increase
within the EU-27/28 up
until 2012
Asylum Applicants
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 After 2012 the number of asylum seekers rose at a more rapid pace (431k in
2013, 627k in 2014 & around 1.3M in both 2015 & 2016)
 2015/2016 => The
number of asylum
applications within the
EU-28 was approx.
double the number
recorded within the EU-
15 during the previous
peak (1992)
Asylum Applicants
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 2017 => Nearly 705k asylum seekers applied for international protection
in EU member states, over half the number recorded in 2016
 Syria => main country of
origin of Asylum seekers
in EU member states in
2017, a position it has held
each year since 2013
 Further Asylum seekers:
Iraqis, Afghanis, Nigerians,
Pakistanis
Asylum Applicants
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 2017 => Largest relative increase compared with 2016: Nigerians,
Bangladeshi & Guineans
 Considerable growth in
relative terms in the number
of applicants from Turkey,
Venezuela, Côte d’Ivoire,
Eritrea & Albania
Asylum Applicants
12
 2017 => Germany (31%), Italy (20%), France (14%), Greece (9%), the
United Kingdom (5%) & Spain (5%)
 Larger increase in number of
applicants compared with 2016:
Spain (15k), France (14k),
Greece (7k) & Italy (5k)
 Larger decrease=> Germany
(520k), Austria (18k), the
Netherlands (3k) & the United
Kingdom (6k)
Countries of Destination13
 More than four in five first-time asylum seekers in the EU-28 in 2017 were
under 35 years of age
 Those in the age
range 18–34 years
accounted for slightly
more than half of the
total number of
applicants
 Nearly one third were
minors
Age & Gender14
 Exceptions: Austria, Hungary, Poland and Germany reported a higher
(>45%) proportion of asylum applicants less than 18 years old
Age & Gender
 This age distribution of
asylum applicants was
common in almost all of the
EU Member States, with the
largest share of applicants
being those aged 18–34
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Humanitarian Crisis
 Syria’s civil war is the worst humanitarian crisis of our time
 Half of the country’s pre-war population (over 11 million people) has
been killed or forced to flee their homes
 Families are struggling to survive inside Syria, or make a new home in
neighboring countries, others are risking their lives on the way to Europe
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvOnXh3NN9w
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Who is a Refugee?
 The Refugee Convention (1951) => “A person fleeing armed conflict or
persecution”
 Outlines the basic rights which States should afford refugees
 Refugees should not be expelled or returned to situations where their
life and freedom would be under threat
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Who is a Migrant?
 ”Any person who lives temporarily or permanently in a country where s/he was
not born, and has acquired some significant social ties to this country”
 According to some states, a person can be considered as a migrant even
when s/he is born in the country
 UN Convention on the Rights of Migrants => "The term 'migrant’ … should
be understood as covering all cases where the decision to migrate is taken freely
by the individual concerned, for reasons of 'personal convenience' and without
intervention of an external compelling factor"
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Who is a Migrant?
 Dominant forms of migration can be distinguished according to the motives
(economic, family reunion, refugees) or legal status (irregular migration,
controlled emigration/immigration, free emigration/immigration)
 Countries distinguish between a number of categories in their migration
policies and statistics => such variations indicate that there are no objective
definitions of migration
 Common categorization of international migrants:
 Temporary labour migrants (guest workers): people who migrate for a limited
period of time in order to take up employment and send money home
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Who is a Migrant?
 Common categorization of international migrants:
 Highly skilled and business migrants: people with qualifications
(managers, executives, professionals, technicians) who move within the
internal labour markets of trans-national corporations and international
organisations, or who seek employment through international labour markets
for scarce skills
 Many countries welcome such migrants and have special 'skilled and business
migration' programmed to encourage them to come
 Irregular/illegal migrants: people who enter a country, usually in search
of employment, without the necessary documents and permits
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Who is a Migrant?
 Common categorization of international migrants:
 Forced migration: in a broader sense, this includes not only refugees and
asylum seekers but also people forced to move due to external factors (e.g.
environmental catastrophes). Similar to displacement.
 Family members/reunion: people sharing family ties joining people who
have already entered an immigration country under one of the above
mentioned categories.
 Many countries recognize the right to family reunion for legal migrants, othersespecially
those with contract labour systems, deny the right
 Return migrants: people who return to their countries of origin after a
period in another country
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Who is a Migrant?
 Migrant are NOT refugees or people who were displaced/forced/compelled
to leave their homes
 Migrants are people who choose when to leave and where to go, even
though these choices are sometimes extremely constrained
 Voluntary and involuntary migration?
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Refugees’ arrival in the EU
Refugees Welcome
 September 2, 2015 => the discovery
of the body of young Aylan induced
public discussion concerning the
regufee crisis (and life threatning
situations on route to Europe)
 Germany, Sweden and the UK
expressed their wishes to accept
refugees into their countries and assist
them integrate in Europe Football fans showed their support for the campaign
at the 3rd day of the Bundesliga
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Refugees’ arrival in the EU24
The German plan
 Providing extra 3 billion euros to states &
municipalities, 150,000 additional accommodation
places for refugees
 650 new positions in the Federal Office for
Migration and Refugees to shorten the time until
asylum status is granted
 Refugees can work/start training 3 months after arrival (instead of after 9
months)
 Repartition of refugees by district depending of their wealth and size
25
The German Plan
 German employers demand:
 Guarantee not to expel workers hired + better recognition of foreign
credentials
 Remove the obligation to prove to the Federal Employment Agency
that no German/European worker is suitable for a position they want to
entrust a non-European foreign worker
 Budget of €6 billion overall => represents nearly 60% additional expenditure
initially planned (2016)
26
Public reaction
 Middle Class Germans (students, left wing) mostly understood that
supporting refugees is not only morally right but also good for Germany
 Well educated/skilled labour: fill labour gaps => play an important economic role
 Extreme/right wing Germans see refugees as a threat- threatening rhetoric
used by extremist to campaign against ‘refugees welcome’
 Attacks against asylum seeker’s centers (mainly in the former GDR, specifically in
Saxony)
 “Risk” that economic migrants from the Balkans will mingle with the flow of
Middle Eastern refugees
The German Plan
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German Motives
Political considerations
 August 2015 => Merkel: "humanitarian values" of Europe, there would be "no
tolerance for those who question the dignity of others”
 Historical (ww2) duty?
 Possible re-election?
 Germany’s image
 Defender of refugees (unlike other European countries)
 Example of openness, generosity and solidarity (unlike following the Greek
debt crisis)
 Can easily forget that Germany is not military involved
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German Motives
Economic and Demographic Considerations
 Aging population, who will pay the retirement funds?
 Need young workers
 Professional skills rather than a PhD
The need for the European solution:
 Angela Merkel’s opening of borders was a temporary measure
 Need to find a European solution to the crisis => a European distribution of
migrants (quotas)
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An End to the Welcoming Spirit
 Merkel couldn’t maintain her policy
of openness
 Changing public opinion following
terror attacks (Paris) and crime (rape
events in New Year eve in Cologne)
involving immigrants (inducing fear,
racism)
 Massive number of refugees VS. lack
of sufficient organization &
infrastructure
30
An End to the Welcoming Spirit
 CDU lost public support
 Rising support for the ‘Alternative for
Germany’ right-wing/far-right political party
 Clear hostility and anti immigrants/refugees
voices in Europe in general (UK, France)
 Public opinion in highly dependent on media
coverage
31
The Refugee Crisis- Important Players32
How did the Refugees Crisis impact Europe?
• Rise of right wing parties
• Reestating border control/check points
(Denmark, Belgium, Hungary, France, UK,
Slovakia)
• BREXIT
• Terrorist attacks? => fear that ISIS will
disguise terrorists as refugees
• Increased islamophobia and racism
• Pact between EU and Turkey
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The EU/Turkey Pact
 Following a joint EU-Turkey Action Plan (2015) a pact was made in order to
end illegal migration from Turkey to the European Union:
1. Irregular migrants crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands after March
2016 will be returned to Turkey;
2. For every Syrian returned to Turkey from the Greek islands, another will be
resettled to the EU;
3. Turkey will take any necessary measures to prevent new sea/land routes for
irregular migration opening from Turkey to the EU;
4. The EU will, in close cooperation with Turkey, further speed up the
disbursement of the initially allocated €3 billion under the Facility for
Refugees in Turkey. The EU will mobilise additional funding up to an
additional €3 billion to the end of 2018
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Migrants in Austria
35
Facts & Figures
 8,739,806 people were living in Austria in 2016
 As in previous years, Austria’s population growth can be attributed first and
foremost to a positive net migration (balance of immigration and emigration)
=> international net-migration gain of 64,676 people, about 43% less than in
the previous year
 Inflow of 174,310 people, outflow of 109,634
 Negative migration balance of
Austrian citizens- 5,044 (increase of
migration loss over the previous year)
 Migration gain of 69,720 people for
foreign citizens
 36
National Level: Legal Framework
 Austria has no comprehensive integration strategy – a fact that was noted
with concern by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance
(ECRI) in its fourth report on Austria published in March 2010
 In 2010, the government committed to a National Action Plan for Integration,
after years of NGO consultations, an integration plattform, expert reports and
panels, statistics and new indicators. This process of policy change has produced
much paper and discussion, but few improvements so far
 Most initiatives to promote integration are still local and regional projects,
limited in time and reach. These ‘best practices’ cannot overcome all the
obstacles to integration in the national legal framework
37
National Level: Impact on Politics
 Third country nationals have no right to vote und to
stand for elections (minicipal councils, provincial
parliaments, national parliament)
 Political participation in trade unions and
representations of interests ist possible but
restricted (Workers´ Councils, Student representation)
 Participation through „Foreigners` Councils“ (Ausländerbeiräte)
 Traditional route of political participation is naturalisation (obtaining Austrian
citizenship)
38
National Level: Impact on Economy
 Migrants have a lower annual income than natives (due to lower skills, low wage
industries, high proportion of seasonal work and limited opportunities to join core
work force)
 Migrants tend to have higher unemployment rates than natives
 Migrants are increasingly turning to selfemployment
by setting up business in services und
retail trade (cleaning, restaurants, food,
transportation, etc.)
 Austria has not been able to attract highly skilled
migrant workers in large numbers => limited
demand for these skills or due tobureaucratic hurdles
39
National Level: Impact on Economy
Obstacles to employment
 Recognition of foreign qualifications
 Low educational level
 Insufficient language proficiency
 No free access to the labour market for non-EU
temporary residents
 Discrimination
40
National Level: Impact on Economy
Education and Qualifications
 Immigrant pupils rarely attend schools where they
can earn a high school diploma, but rather secondary,
polytechnic, and vocational schools
 In special needs schools the proportion of foreign
children was almost twice as high (19%), mostly
citizens of former Yugoslavia and Turkey
 The educational level of the second generation has already considerably
adapted to that of the Austrian population
 There is an urgent need for action with young people who have only completed
compulsory school or have no leaving certificate
41
National Level: Impact on Culture
 Role of food as indicator for growing cultural diversity.
Growing number of Turkish & Asian restaurants
 Migrants’ print media are limited to papers of individual
associations
 Fashion: high percentage of third country nationals studying
fashion at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna
 Cultural policy is still criticised for not committing itself to create a sustainable
infrastructure for development and establishment of a “migrant-culture”
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Regional Level: Integration Initiatives
„Integration and Diversity“: Integration Concept Vienna
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Organisational Level
Empowerment Concept „Help the people help themselves“
 Legal counseling
 Financial und material help
 Support in case of problems
with authorities
 German language courses
 Interreligious dialogue
 Women`s empowerment
projects
 Seminars and Workshops
 Reduce information deficits in migrant communities
on austrian health, welfare & education system
 Improve German skills
 Increase the take-up rate of education and health
facilities
 Foster participation and autonomy of migrants
 Reduce deprivation
 Increase take-up rate of public transfers and
cost-free services
 Foster intercultural dialogue
 44
Organisational Level
Social Obsticles to Empowerment
 Legal und sozial disadvantage
 Political inequality
 Stigmatisation
 Discrimination
 Disqualification
 Xenophobia
 Judgement by appearance
 Automatic exclusion
 Unequal chances
 Verbal aggressions/insults
 Emotional violence
 45
Organisational Level
Individual Obsticles to Empowerment
 Culture shock
 Life-changing crisis
 Psychlogical disorders
 Deprivation
 Devaluation
 Regression
 Helplessness
 Anger
 Depression
 Low self-esteem
 Lack of knowledge
 Identity problems
 Sorrow
 46
The Essay47
 Structure
 Word limit
 Sources + citation
 Conclusion
 Original work!
The Exam48
 Posted on IS => 9:00am on Thursday the 20th
 Should upload the form back to IS (specified folder) within 48h (aka until
Sunday at 9:00am)
 Please do NOT send the exam to me via e-mail
 Choose to answer 2 out of 3 questions- analysis rather than memorisation
 Further info is specified on the form (page limit, font etc.)
 Original work!
Feedback49
 What is the one thing/fact/class that interests you the
most?
 Your opinion matters!
 Please e-mail me your comments
50
Thank You For Your
Attention, attendance and
interest in the course!
Questions???