Call for political participation: Strengthen migrants in Saxony-Anhalt!

Call for political participation: Strengthen migrants in Saxony-Anhalt!

The political participation of immigrants is increasingly becoming an important issue in Germany. In a clear call, Susi Möbbeck, the state integration officer, and LAMSA are calling on people with a migration history and German citizenship to actively participate in the political landscape. In the run-up to the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, they are called upon to raise their voices and be nominated as candidates. Sachsen-Anhalt.de reports that Only around 1 percent of MPs in the country have a migration history, making Saxony-Anhalt one of the lowest figures in Germany. This shockingly low representation means that the concerns of many citizens are not sufficiently taken into account.

Political representation and trust in democracy

The call for more diverse political representation comes at a crucial time. The state integration officer emphasizes the importance of this participation in order to make the growing proportion of migrants in society visible in parliament. Political participation is seen as an essential step towards closing the representation gap. In this context, Mika Kaiyama, the deputy managing director of LAMSA, emphasizes how important the right to vote is for political participation. In order to reach this target group, LAMSA is planning dialogue events in unusual locations that will create low-threshold formats.

The Robert Bosch Stiftung supports similar initiatives that aim to improve the representation and participation of people with a migration history in liberal democracies. The “Repchance” project analyzes why migrants are often underrepresented in politics and develops recommendations for action. Bosch Foundation describes that a focus is placed on improving the conditions for political careers.

Challenges and opportunities for migrants

In a society that is becoming more diverse due to increasing mobility and immigration, the social and political integration of migrants represents a challenge. It is important to understand which democratic rights and opportunities for participation correspond to needs. Local history reports that In Germany, the link between voting rights and citizenship often makes it difficult for proven immigrants to integrate. In many EU states, the right to vote only applies to citizens, which further narrows the political scope for immigrants.

The data shows that a significant part of the population - every fifth person in Germany has a migration background, and in some large cities even every second child. However, a large proportion of these people do not have German citizenship. It is all the more important that the discussion about political participation takes place and that citizens with a migration background can actively represent their interests.

It is up to all of us to ensure that our parliaments reflect social reality and that everyone has a voice that is heard.