For many years Germany did not consider itself to be a country of immigration (Einwanderungsland). The constant rise in the number of migrants, however, showed that it had in fact become one. With time the need for change became apparent. German law regarding citizenship, for instance, proved to be too rigid and inflexible to cope with present day realities. The heated debates about dual citizenship as well as the new law on optional citizenship show that attitudes are changing, if slowly.
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The rise of right wing extremism and violence against people who are, or appear to be, of foreign origin has reinforced the need for a change in public awareness. Germany has de facto become a multicultural society in which people of many different origins and denominations live. Without denying the fact that many foreigners are at a disadvantage with regard to schooling, career prospects, etc. many have been and are succeeding in Germany. According to Cem Özdemir, a former MP of Turkish descent, there are over 40,000 Turkish companies in Germany that employ hundreds of thousands of people and more than 13,000 Turkish students are currently studying at German universities. Writers like Rafik Schamir, Emine Sevgi Özdamar, Jusuf Naoum, Franco Biondi, Gino Chiellino, etc. have become well-known and are widely read. Others, like Fatih Akin and Renan Demirkan, have made a name for themselves in the film industry, as TV personalities, musicians and artists.
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These success stories cannot hide the fact that there are serious problems within German society with regard to the general integration of foreigners, but they show that it can be done. The main task that remains is to overcome social inequality and segregation. Unemployment is disproportionally high among non-Germans, thus a particular emphasis needs to be put on an improvement in schooling and vocational training. The legal status of migrants is still not satisfactory in many respects and this tends to diminish their chances of integrating into German society. The most important and maybe the most difficult task, however, is for German society at large to accept that integration is not identical with assimilation.
