Between Open Arms and Closed Borders

In the summer of 2015, hundreds of thousands of people fled the region around Syria – escaping not only war and persecution but also hunger. In a historic decision that went against European agreements at the time, Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany’s borders on humanitarian grounds. Scenes of pragmatism, improvisation, and broad civic and political engagement unfolded at train stations and arrival points across the country. Carried by an open and supportive society, the concept of a German “Welcoming Culture” quickly gained worldwide attention. With her statement, “We can do this,” the Chancellor expressed trust in the population while acknowledging the immediate and long-term challenges ahead.

Many municipalities and cities took responsibility for receiving refugees, providing accommodation, support, and opportunities for participation. At the same time, many reached the limits of their capacity and had to improvise: sports facilities, tents, and container villages were set up at short notice. Tens of thousands of citizens offered private shelter to people seeking protection. Despite this widespread support, right-wing populist movements used the situation to promote nationalist and anti-immigration agendas. Political and public debates over caps, security, and defensive policies intensified, while violence and racist attacks on refugee shelters increased significantly.

2015 marked a turning point in German refugee policy: refugees were not only admitted but also offered genuine opportunities for integration – including language courses, access to the labor market, and new pathways for long-term residence. This approach was tested again with the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in 2022.

Looking back on the decade from 2015 to 2025, two pivotal moments stand out: the reception of Syrian refugees beginning in 2015 and Ukrainian refugees from 2022. Both serve as reference points for comparison of political, societal, and institutional responses, raising questions about how refugee and integration policies can be shaped in the future amid scarce resources and stricter access policies. These challenges are not unique to Germany; similar dynamics are evident across Europe and the United States, including the instrumentalization of migration for nationalist and illiberal political agendas.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation and the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM) – commissioned by the Bundestag to analyze societal conditions based on facts and evidence – invite you to this expert conference. Together with leading voices from civil society, academia, and politics, we will review the past ten years and explore perspectives for the future:

• Actors on the Ground: Can German bureaucracy act pragmatically and flexibly?
• Asylum Policy: What role does it play in an increasingly migration-hostile world?
• Right to Integration: Who has contributed, and how has our understanding of integration evolved?
• Society in Transition: Cohesion and solidarity versus fear and feeling overwhelmed – what lessons can we draw from the past decade?

With contributions from, among others:

• Prof. Dr. Oliver Junk - former Mayor of the city of Goslar
• Filiz Polat MdB - Member of the Bundestag - Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens (invited)
• Prof. Dr. Petra Bendel - FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Karl Kopp - ProAsyl
• Nele Allenberg - German Institute for Human Rights
• Dr. Fessum Ghirmazion - IG Metall, German Metalworkers’ Union
• Susanna Kahlefeld MdA - Alliance 90/Green Party Parliamentary Group Berlin
• Prof. Dr. Herbert Brücker - Institute of Employment Research
• Tülay Zengingül - Municipal Integration Center Bielefeld
• Emiliano Chaimite - Afropa e.V.
• Dr. Achim Dercks - German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Stephan Neher - Mayor of Rottenburg am Neckar
• Dr. Noa Ha - German Center for Integration and Migration Research
   

The full program can be found below. 

The conference will be conducted in German and English with simultaneous translation. Please note that only one of the parallel sessions in the afternoon will be translated into English.

Admission is free. We look forward to welcoming you.

Conference Contact:

Mekonnen Mesghena
Migration & Diversity Division
E migration@boell.de

Information:

Andrea Meinecke
Migration & Diversity Division
E meinecke@boell.de

» Participation on site

at the the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Conference Center, Schumannstr. 8, 10117 Berlin

Please register in advance. Unfortunately, the number of seats for this event are limited. If we are at capacity, the conversation will be transmitted via video to other rooms.

» Livestream

Alternatively, you can follow the event via the livestream without registering.

» Towards Greater Accessibility

At the Heinrich Böll Foundation, we are constantly striving to remove barriers. Whether in our building, in the release of publications or at online events. All information on this can be found here: https://www.boell.de/en/accessibility/towards-greater-accessibility