Immigration, ethnic minorities, assimilation, always hot button subjects in Europe are back in the news. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s forthright and somewhat shocking statement declaring multiculturalism a failure in her country and demanding that minorities integrate with the population has brought this sensitive topic to the forefront in a controversial way.
Much of Europe is composed of nation-states formed of populations of similar ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds and while differences do exist (and there have always been minorities), the vast majority is alike, in religion and language, if nothing else. Not surprisingly, “outsiders” always stand out and are either barely tolerated or have to face hostility.
The degree of discomfort in European nations differs, but arguably the one country that has had the most problems with such minorities is Germany. The most extreme case of discrimination against minorities in Germany in the 20th century is all too well known, but even post-World War II, the divided country could not reconcile itself with the idea of thousands, and later hundreds of thousands of seemingly different people living in it. It imported thousands of Turks as temporary labour in its companies and called them gastarbieters, or guest workers, who would go back to their homeland in a couple of years after making some money. The inevitable happened and many of these Turks stayed back. Some assimilated, large numbers did not.
Germany did not give them citizenship and even children born to such immigrants were not made fully German, gaining only a kind of resident permit. Today, the immigrant Turkish population has reached 3.5 million and has been joined by many more who have moved to the country from other countries, including Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and many African countries. Germany is no longer the all-German (and all-white) country it used to be.
This naturally makes people uncomfortable and provides fodder for right-wing groups in the country. Mainstream politicians know they have to tackle the issue but tend not to take extreme stands, not the least because they do not want to lose the support of minority groups. Chancellor Merkel’s declaration is thus unique. She has declared (and she may well be articulating what many in her country privately feel) that multiculturalism in Germany has “utterly failed” and the approach in which different cultures live side by side “should be abandoned”. “Those who do not accept this have no place here”, she has stated bluntly.
Her statement may not tackle specifics, but is not difficult to comprehend. Though Germany has no multiculturalism to speak of, at least not in the way it is practiced in Britain or Canada, it still has tried to live with its ethnic minorities. What she is saying is that the minorities have failed to assimilate and by holding on to their own cultures they are not “becoming German enough”. The minorities complain that all attempts to integrate are rejected and they are constantly perceived as outsiders despite living there for three generations. With no citizenship, they had no incentive to learn German or become part of society. Both sides have their own take on it, but the context and sub-text is unmistakable: the Muslims of the country stand out and by insisting on pushing their own culture and traditions, are a misfit in the predominantly Christian society.
Anti-immigrant (and minority) sentiment is growing elsewhere in the continent too. France’s president Nicholas Sarkozy recently got into a spat with the European Union for his policy in throwing out Roma (gypsies) from his country though under European Union rules they had a perfect right to be there. And in Britain, which has been the most tolerant European nation as far as minorities go, immigration is being tightened.
Populations across Europe are greying and even falling. Most countries need workers and young people to keep the economy humming and feed pension plans. So many governments come up with plans to woo skilled migrants and turn a blind eye to illegal ones who work in farms and low-paying jobs. But this has not always worked. Germany’s ambitious scheme to bring in Indian techies failed because migrants felt uncomfortable with the local language and customs. Yet, European nations have not been able to come up with an immigration policy, like Canada or Australia, which lets in qualified foreigners and allows them to settle down legally and with dignity.
We, in India, too have had to tackle anti-immigration sentiment, though, of course, our right-wing politicians tend to attack their own countrymen and women. With all our problems, we have come to understand that diversity is our strength. The situation in Europe, for a wide variety of reasons, is very different and has led to brutalities on an unprecedented scale. Once again, the portents are not good. In the coming years, this conflict within European societies could become combustible. Ethnic and religious minorities are a reality, but many extremist groups want to change it. With the economy faltering and jobs becoming scarcer, there is a temptation for even sober, mainstream politicians to join the anti-minority brigade. Ms Merkel, who may or may not have taken this step due to her own political compulsion, has now opened a Pandora’s Box which will be difficult to shut again.

The writer is a senior journalist and commentator on current affairs based in Mumbai