Editorial


10/2004		  

Sensible diaspora policy

All summer long, Germany excitedly discussed the welfare state. One of the biggest grievances, however, went unmentioned. In our major cities, illegal migrants clean the apartments of teachers, civil servants and other households of the upper middle class. It is generally known that it is very difficult to find local personnel for these kinds of jobs, however, women from Poland, the Ukraine, Croatia or perhaps Ecuador and the Philippines are easily available. The latest welfare state reforms introduced by the government do not bother them. As it is, they have no claim to social security and enjoy no support from health insurances anyway. But they do live in constant fear of being found out and deported.

According to the idea of human dignity prevalent in Germany, having to work without legal protection and social security it unacceptable. No member of the Bundestag would object to this statement. And yet Germany does not grant these rights to people whose presence in the country remains officially unwanted in spite of their services being in high demand.

The long debates on the new Immigration Law have brought about some progress (details on page 375). For example, highly skilled foreigners can obtain permanent residency immediately from next year on. An earlier important reform of the Social Democrat/Green coalition government was that all people born in the country get German citizenship. Nonetheless, the majority of the population has not yet grasped that such issues are not simply domestic affairs.

Migration is a global phenomenon. The latest UNDP Human Development Report deals with the matter and quite rightly emphasises – despite some shortcomings (review page 394) – that living in multicultural societies is the norm rather than the exception. UN general secretary Kofi Annan enlisted a Global Commission on International Migration, which is looking into how migration can be made useful for all countries and persons involved (interview with commission member Rita Süssmuth on page 364). World Bank economists are also increasingly interested in the impact of migration on poor countries.

The old concern with the buzzword “brain drain”, which stands for disadvantaged countries losing their most important skilled personnel, is far from obsolete. For example, urgently needed nurses often migrate from poor countries to rich ones. On the other hand, it is also obvious that, under certain conditions, migrants can stimulate their former home economies by providing money, technology and business contacts (Hans Werner Mundt, page 368). On top of all this, cultural exchange can enhance cross-border understanding and, at best, will counteract fanaticism and hate (Tarek Al-Wazir, page 372).
Experts agree that working with diaspora communities offers development opportunities, which, so far, have not been taken advantage of systematically. It would make sense, for example, to make bank transfers to home countries cheaper and to give migrants sound advice for investment projects. If immigrants feel safe, well and welcome, the chances are good that they will convincingly portray the merits of their new country to relatives and friends back home. They may even trigger desire for reform.

For migrants to act in this sense, their legal situation must be safe. This is one more incidence of all government departments having to think in terms of development. Domestic affairs have an impact on international development. In Germany, the Federal Government as well as the State Governments, which make up the Upper House of Parliament, are involved. After all, it is the Christian-Democrat majority in the Bundesrat, which, so far, has slowed down reforms. The conservatives are banking on the populist notion that Germany is neither an immigration country nor should become one.

However, four decades of Turkish migration to the Federal Republic have not been a success story. Opportunities were missed almost systematically because nobody involved wanted to admit that immigration would probably be for good (Faruk Sen, page 376). The irony of it is: precisely because Turks did not receive any permanent right of abode, they found it particularly hard to return to their country of origin. They were unable to try out what life had become like decades after they first left and to simply come back to their new homes if they didn’t get along well in Turkey. By contrast, migrants from EU member countries as Spain or Italy, who spent their working life in Germany, travel to and fro without worry.

Flights and international phone calls have become cheaper and cheaper over the years. Transnational communities are emerging and can influence several nations. Migrants provide cultural bridges. The prospect of circular migration with alternating periods of life in different countries is becoming increasing realistic – but will always depend on liberal immigration laws. Fear and uncertainty are no basis for partnership, for investment or for cosmopolitan lifestyles. As long as illegal migrants are a part of daily life in our urban agglomerations, Germany’s migration problems will not have been solved.



Dr. Hans Dembowski
Editor in Chief D+C
euz.editor@fsd.de