Values Contract’ for German Immigrants

CAIRO – The German government is planning an ‘integration contract’ to bind immigrants in the central European country to the German values. "We will draw up contracts with new immigrants," Commissioner for Immigration Maria Boehmer told the Stuttgarter Nachrichten daily Monday, November 23.

"In those contracts will be set out what they can expect in terms of support and help.

“But they will also set out what we can expect from immigrants.”

Boehmer said the contract would include German values that newcomers should abide by, including freedom of speech and sexual equality.

"Everyone who wants to live and work here long term must say 'Yes' to our country,” said Boehmer, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats.

“To this belongs proficiency in the German language, but also a readiness to take part in society.”

In exchange, immigrants "can expect help and support," she added.

Last year, the German government introduced a test on key facts about the country for would-be citizens.

Success Stories

Boehmer called for ‘better publicizing’ the success stories of immigrants in the country.

“There must also be a discussion over those who get their high school diplomas, study, start companies, or become engineers, doctors and lawyers.”

She said that those immigrants are part of the “economic success of our country.”

The commissioner admitted that skilled immigrants are instrumental for maintaining the success of the central European country.

The country must become more attractive to give it "the expertise that will enable us to ensure our leading economic role in world markets", she said.

"We must also make sure we harness the potential of immigrants already living here,” said Boehmer.

"For that, we need good language teaching, schooling and a better recognition of qualifications gained abroad."

Germany has 15.1-million strong population of immigrants and their descendants, out of the country’s 82 total population.

Turks, who have been in Germany for nearly 50 years, are the largest ethnic immigrant group -- numbering some 2.8 million.

They make up the majority of the nearly 3.5 million Muslim minority in the central European country.

Source: IslamOnline

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UK envoys to lure Muslim support to foreign policy

CAIRO – Amid criticism of Britain’s foreign policy for giving ammunition to extremists, British ambassadors to Muslim countries are reaching out the Muslim minority to lure its support for the government foreign policies.

“Through a programme of outreach events, ambassadors and senior officials work with local partners in Muslim communities across the country to challenge those misconceptions,” a Foreign Office spokesman told The Times Sunday, November 22.

“These events are a chance for well-informed officials to explain our foreign policy and to get a better understanding of what people think about it.”

A number of British ambassadors to Muslim countries held meetings with Muslim leaders and residents in hot spots under a government strategy to fight extremism.

Last July, British ambassador Sir William Patey met twice with Muslim residents in Redbridge and Essex to explain the British foreign policy to them.

He also met with Muslim residents in Edinburgh in September for the same purpose.

British ambassador to Morocco also met last month with Muslim residents in northwest London.

Overall, 25 ambassador and senior diplomats in several Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Syria and Tunisia, met with British Muslims in several hot spots to draw their support for the British foreign policy.

Senior Muslims were also dispatched by the Foreign Policy to Muslim countries to refute reports about the maltreatment and abuses of British Muslims.

“Violent extremists use misconceptions about foreign policy as a way to radicalise vulnerable young people in the UK,” said the spokesman.

British Muslims, estimated at some 1.8 million or nearly three percent of the population, have been critical of Britain’s foreign policy for fueling extremism in the country.

A report commissioned by Muslim leaders following the London attacks said that the British policy on Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East were fanning the flames of extremism.

A recent report by the British parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee said that international conflicts, such as the situation in Iraq and the occupied Palestinian territories, were breeding feelings of injustice in the Muslim world which can boost support for terrorism.
Source: IslamOnline

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