Grüne on migration and integration

The Greens want to make Saxony a "safe harbor" for refugees. Asylum seekers should stay in reception centers for no more than three months and then live in municipal housing that is as decentralized as possible. Counseling, social work and the protection of children are to be strengthened.

The Greens want to give refugees in Saxony better help. They should live in large reception centers only for a short time. After three months they should move to smaller housing. Children should be able to play and learn there. There should be more advice and support.

The plans include permanently secured independent asylum procedure counseling, integration as a mandatory municipal task and a ratio of at least one social worker per 80 refugees. Reception centers are to have medical staff, uniform house rules, violence protection plans and safe spaces for especially vulnerable groups. Children are to be housed in a child-appropriate way and get access to education there; standards for unaccompanied minors may be lowered only in emergencies. Municipalities would get help with decentralized housing and with alternatives to residence requirements. Security agencies are to protect refugee housing better against right-wing extremists.

The Greens want binding guidelines for deportations in Saxony. Families should no longer be separated, people should no longer be deported at night, and those who want to leave voluntarily should not be deported. The party justifies this with the suffering and trauma it says deportations cause.

The Greens want firm rules for deportations. Families should stay together. There should be no deportations at night. People who want to leave on their own should not be deported. Independent observers should check the whole process.

Saxony's deportation guideline is to be rewritten for this purpose. The platform also calls for deportation monitoring that critically follows the entire process rather than only what happens at the airport. The rules are meant to be binding on the authorities.

The Greens want a state law on participation and integration that covers all immigrants. It would create permanent structures such as commissioners and advisory councils. Immigration offices are to be better equipped and work more toward integration.

The Greens want a law on integration. It should apply to all immigrants in Saxony. Districts should have commissioners and councils for migrants. Immigration offices should get more staff and work faster. Forms should be available in several languages.

The plans include full-time commissioners and advisory councils for migrants in districts, independent cities and larger municipalities, as well as permanent support for migrant self-organizations. The funding guideline for integration projects is to remain reliable and well funded, and independent providers are to get financial security. Waiting times at offices are to fall through less red tape, digitalization and more staff. Forms are to be available in multiple languages and in plain language, and public administration is to recruit more staff from underrepresented groups.

The Greens want adult immigrants to be able to attend language courses from the start and without exception. The courses should be easy to access, and job-related courses and formats for parents are to be expanded.

The Greens want German courses for all immigrants. The courses should start right after arrival. There should be more courses for work. Parents should get courses that fit family life. There should be more teachers for language courses.

People who learned German outside of school are to get easier access to language exams. More teachers are to be recruited by recognizing other qualifications as well. Training and continuing education for language teachers is to grow. Job-related courses are to draw on the expertise of different professions.

The Greens want to make full use of the option to switch from the asylum system into labor migration. Anyone who wants to work in Saxony should be allowed to, including people with tolerated status. Early language training, counseling and support for employers are meant to speed up integration into work.

The Greens want refugees to be able to work sooner. People with tolerated status should also be allowed to work. They should learn German early. Immigration offices should use the leeway they have. Companies should get help too.

The platform gives priority to integrating people who already live in Saxony. Refugees in initial reception centers are to receive early language training and access to career counseling and job placement. Immigration offices should use their discretion fully and work closely with companies. Small and medium-sized businesses are to get support in hiring and integrating new arrivals, for example through integration managers and projects such as "Arbeitsmarktmentoren Sachsen" (labor market mentors). Projects for refugee women and integration help from the chambers of commerce and crafts are to receive more funding.

The Greens want to simplify the recognition of foreign qualifications and build a welcoming culture in Saxony. In the platform's view, only an open-minded Saxony attracts skilled workers. This includes fighting racism and antisemitism and making working life more multilingual.

The Greens want to make it easier to recognize foreign qualifications. Saxony should be open to people from other countries. Racism and hatred of Jews should be fought. More languages should be possible at work.

Recognition is to become easier in cooperation with the chambers and through changes to federal law. Where possible, people should be able to prove their skills on the job. The platform names anti-democratic attitudes as an obstacle to skilled workers moving in and starting families. When recruiting staff from abroad, people's family situations are to be taken into account. The Greens also want to show sensitivity toward the everyday customs of different cultures.