German Coalition Parties Reach Agreement on Integration Law
Senior officials of Germany’s governing coalition have finally reached an agreement on an integration law for refugees after months of negotiations. The Christian Democratic, Christian Social, and Social Democratic parties of Germany have also agreed on an anti-terrorism document.
High-ranking officials of Germany’s governing coalition reached an agreement on the main points of an integration law following hours of discussion and negotiations in the office of the country’s chancellor. According to this law, a program is to be developed for refugee employment.
Creating 100,000 additional job opportunities based on the state budget, “unrestricted access to the German labor market and provision of meaningful and necessary employment during the refugee period” are among these main points.
According to information obtained by the German ARD television network, the fundamental principles of this law are based on “support and obligation.” This means that in order to integrate a refugee into the host society, they receive government assistance, but at the same time, efforts are also required from them.
The main points of this law will be presented on April 22, 2016 at a conference of prime ministers. The German government intends to make a decision regarding the draft of this law at a meeting on May 24, 2016 in Merseburg.
Apparently, the Christian Democratic, Christian Social, and Social Democratic parties of Germany have not yet reached agreement on some points. Among these is the question of how to make integration mandatory for refugees, which remains controversial.
In a document obtained by the main studio of the first channel of German television in Berlin, it is recommended that integration should become mandatory for refugees, and their implementation of it should be subject to evaluation. This evaluation will be decisive for subsequent services provided to them. In other words, if a refugee refuses what is required of them for integration or does not implement it correctly, the services provided to them will be reduced.
Based on this document, a decision has been finalized regarding the accommodation of refugees. Furthermore, employment of refugees as temporary workers has been permitted. There is still disagreement within the coalition between the Christian Democratic and Christian Social parties on one hand and the Social Democratic party on the other regarding the balance between “support and obligation.”
Fighting Terrorism
Moreover, party leaders and faction heads have reached an agreement on an anti-terrorism document. This document includes strengthening security organizations and increasing the possibility of information exchange among them.
Angela Merkel, Horst Seehofer, and Sigmar Gabriel, leaders of the three German Christian Democratic, Christian Social, and Social Democratic parties, will announce the details of this document on Thursday, April 14.
Despite disagreement on some issues such as employment methods and inheritance tax, the German governing coalition has expressed satisfaction with the decisions reached.
