The Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (SVR), a prominent German think-tank, uses the Immigrant Citizens Survey for its policy brief on political participation ahead of the September elections.
This analysis found that well-integrated immigrants in particular would exercise their right to vote; in many cases, interest in voting also goes hand-in-hand with the desire to become a citizen. The majority of third country nationals already fulfil the main requirements for citizenship (65%) but only a small percentage (17%) wants to have a German passport. The Expert Council’s Research Unit thus recommends a stronger push for naturalisation and greater emphasis on German citizenship and voting rights. The reverse is also true: immigrants who want to be politically active and who satisfy the prerequisites for naturalisation should also apply for citizenship. Furthermore, the Policy Brief shows that immigrants’ interest in participating in the political process can also be strengthened, mainly through better social integration and education, for example, school diplomas, German language proficiency and knowledge of the political system and living conditions in Germany.
The immigrants themselves see a need for change in parliamentary representation: a majority of third country nationals thinks that the German Bundestag should have more Members of Parliament (MPs) with a migration background.
The Expert Council is an independent scientific monitoring, evaluating and advisory council. It critically follows political and policy debates on the national, Länder and municipal level and gives research-based practical recommendations.
Download the policy brief’s executive summary (EN) here.
Download the full policy brief (DE) here.
