Advisory Council for Participation and Integration Steglitz-Zehlendorf

The Steglitz-Zehlendorf District Advisory Council for Participation and Integration agrees with the criticism of the State Working Group of District Commissioner for Participation and Integration (press release from the State Working Group of District Representatives for Participation and Integration on September 20, 2023: https://www.berlin.de/ba-steglitz-zehlendorf/politik-und-verwaltung/beauftragte/integration/artikel.1068418.php) and strongly condemns the planned cuts to the district Integration Fund in the budget for 2024/2025 by the Berlin Senate.

These drastic cuts from 12.1 million euros in the current year to 7.9 million euros for the coming financial years are in no way justified and are in stark contradiction to the increasing requirements arising from the reception and integration of refugees in Berlin. It is worrying that financial support in this area is to be curtailed, especially in times of growing numbers of refugees. According to current statistics from the Berlin State Office for Refugee Affairs, 10,000 new refugees were already admitted in 2023, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year (https://www.berlin.de/laf/ankommen/aktuelle-ankunftszahlen/artikel.625503.php).

The Steglitz-Zehlendorf District Advisory Council for Participation and Integration agrees with the demands of the State Working Group and calls for the 2023 sum of 12.1 million euros to be retained for the coming financial years. This is essential to ensure the integration and participation of refugees and to maintain the social infrastructure in the districts.

Since its introduction in 2016, the district integration fund has proven to be extremely successful and is making a significant contribution to local integration (https://www.berlin.de/ba-steglitz-zehlendorf/politik-und-verwaltung/beauftragte/integration/artikel.737434.php). The planned cuts would not only weaken district support structures, but would also result in unforeseeable follow-up costs, which are significant in scope.

It is of paramount importance that Berlin continues to provide the necessary funds for integration in order to meet the refugees' needs and ensure successful integration locally and, in the future, sustainable financing of integration projects in the districts supported by the integration funds. The Steglitz-Zehlendorf District Advisory Council for Participation and Integration therefore appeals to the members of the Berlin House of Representatives to reconsider the planned cuts and to provide appropriate support for the integration of refugees in our city.