Immigration to Berlin: Which opportunities and challenges does the growing city face? This topic was discussed on October 4th 2018 by 64 participants among science and society, who were invited by the HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform and the Technical University of Berlin. Gesine Schwan, moderator and president of the HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform emphasized: “Integration is only possible in cooperation and based on partnership. It is best to achieve when it is part of local development and based on the advisory participation of companies, civil society organizations and science.”

As part of the stakeholder group politics & administration Berlin’s state secretary Daniel Tietze said Berlin’s diversity should be used as opportunity and discrimination should not take place. By the private sector Elisabeth Bartke from the Chambers of Commerce and Industry emphasized the engagement of many companies in integration refugees and pledged for a common and transparent implementation of the permit during apprenticeship, the so called 3+2-regulation. On the part of the organized civil society Dr. Emilia Roig added the need of access to the labor market and a fair recognition of foreign qualifications to reach an equal treatment of people – cultural integration would then happen automatically.

The participants of the Trialog discussed how science and city society can help top find solutions for current challenges among others in the areas of education, entrepreneurship, digital information-platform and participatory development of urban spaces of diversity. Dr. Maren Borkert of the TU Berlin summed up: “When science is well done, it provides robust information about how to use the positive effects of immigration for our society. In order to unfold the potential of immigration, we need new approaches for digital working environments and the cooperation of the private sector, politics, science and societal actors.”

Photos: © TU Berlin / Felix Noak

Participants of the Trialog

Daniel Tietze

Elisabeth Bartke

Dr. Emilia Roig

Dr. Maren Borkert

Host Prof. Dr. Gesine Schwan