Europe Refugee Crisis: Syrians Must Learn German Or Lose Residency Under Proposed Integration Law...

Integration is important to the well being of the host Nation's society. Integration assumes that both sides will work toward the greater good of the host Nation. For integration to work well, it is the responsibility of the new comer to respect common host nation values, standards and laws and to actively contribute to this society. Keeping in mind it is a two sided process, it is the host nation's responsibility to ensure immigrants fully participate in the economic, social, cultural and political life of the country.

Germany and other EU countries which have taken in so many refugees are now faced with ensuring this process happens. They must ensure the rights of their citizens and the rights of the refugees are protected at the same time. To ensure this process is accomplished politicians in Germany have begun to propose new laws regarding immigration and put limits on the amount of time allowed for integration to happen.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel instituted an open-arms refugee policy despite criticism by members of her own Christian Democratic Union party. She has faced a backlash since the Cologne attacks on New Year’s Eve when hundreds of women were assaulted and robbed by groups of refugee males.

The citizen's of Germany have begun to use the the weight of their vote and switching their alliance away from the Christian Democratic Union Party to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party and the far-right National Democratic Party both of which gained representatives in the most recent elections there.

Germany's interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, is planning to propose a new law that would make language acquisition a requirement, with refugees failing to meet it losing their right of residence. “For those who refuse to learn German, for those who refuse to allow their relatives to integrate — for instance, women or girls — for those who reject job offers, for them, there cannot be an unlimited settlement permit after three years,” De Maiziere said the law was aimed at better integrating refugees into German society.

Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel was among the supporters of the draft law saying, “We must not only support integration but demand it,”