Implementing social integration measures
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is currently focusing on the following areas to trial selected recommendations in the area of activity of social integration.
Strengthening immigrant organisations
To open up BAMF’s project support more effectively to immigrant organisations, the support guideline that came into effect in 2010 explicitly specifies such organisations as possible recipients of funding, and indicates that the integrative effects of supported projects is to be strengthened by the extensive involvement of immigrant organisations. In parallel, the BAMF has increased its support for qualification measures for immigrant organisations (in particular for making its association work more professional) and its advisory services, and has organised special information events. These measures have seen the proportion of projects run by immigrants rise more than threefold compared with the years prior to 2009.
To trial different co-operation options between immigrant organisations and other providers as equal partners, the BAMF is supporting 15 pilot projects that have been submitted and are being managed by an immigrant organisation and another organisation on a joint basis. The pilot projects will be given expert and academic support in order to obtain transferable findings and to produce recommendations for action.
Strengthening young people's involvement in society: Intercultural openness of youth association work
In order to improve knowledge about associations for young people with an immigrant background, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has supported the development of a database of the active associations in Germany for young people with an immigrant background. It has details of approximately 270 associations.
In a project supported by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, the youth education centre in Unterfranken has trialled the provision of “education cheques for intercultural openness” for full-time and voluntary workers in youth associations and youth groups, municipal youth welfare offices and other providers of public youth work. The aim of these education cheques is to help institutions to access the personnel services that they need in the area of intercultural openness and to access relevant training in this area at the youth education centre in Unterfranken without having to make an individual application for funding.
