Transatlantic Discourse on Integration: "Citizenship and Culture of Naturalization", July 7th-8th, 2003

Supported by the German Marshall Fund of the United States the european forum for migration studies (efms) organized the transatlantic expert workshop "Citizenship and Culture of Naturalization" on 7th-8th July, 2003 in Berlin. The workshop brought together administrators, German, British and American academics, jurists, representatives of local and regional commissioners for integration as well as of the Federal Comissioner for Integration, representatives of foundations and the American Embassy and experts in adult education.

After an introductory session on the legal basis, administrative implementation and quantitative development of naturalization in the respective countries, naturalization measures such as integration courses, integration contracts or naturalization ceremonies were discussed. Experiences and concepts were exchanged on the basis of a transatlantic comparative perspective. Finally, selected research results regarding the subject of naturalization and integration, e.g. the efms conducted research project "Naturalization and integration: Subjective dimensions of the change of citizenship", were presented.

The conference report can be found here.

Conference program

Monday, July 7:

• 10 a.m.: Uhr: Welcome / Introduction: Prof. Dr. Friedrich Heckmann, european forum for migration studies, Bamberg
• 10.15 a.m.: Session 1: Naturalization in Germany, U.K. and the United States: Regal basis, administrative implementation, naturalization statistics
  RD Hans-Josef Stein, Federal Minsitry of the Interior
  RD Martin Jungnickel, Regierungspräsidium (Naturalization office) Darmstadt
  Prof. Dr. Rey Koslowski, University of Newark
  Dr. Simon Green, Institute for German Studies, Birmingham
• 12.30 a.m.: Lunch
• 2 p.m.: Session 2: Citizenship Education for migrants
  Richard Wolf, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien, Bamberg
  Dr. Michael Griesbeck, Federal Agency for the Recognition of Foreign Refugees, Nürnberg
  Prof. Dr. Richard Alba, University of Albany
  James Levy, U.S. Embassy, Berlin
• 4 p.m.: Coffee break
• 4.30 p.m.: Session 3: Integration contracts and social counseling for foreigners: concepts, models, experiences
  Dr. Doris Dickel, Office of the Commissioner of the Federal Government for Migration, Refugees and Integration
  Dr. Jörn Sommer, Company for Innovation Research and Consulting mbH (GIB), Berlin
  Thomas Jacobs, Academy for Adult Education, Korbach
• 6 p.m.: Adjourn
• 7: 30 p.m.: Conference dinner at the restaurant "Hasir", Oranienburger Str. 4 (Berlin-Mitte)

Tuesday, July 8

• 9 a.m.: Session 4: The symbolic side of naturalizations: Naturalization ceremonies
  Prof. Dr. Friedrich Heckmann, european forum for migration studies, Bamberg
  Dr. Albrecht Magen, Department for Integration, City of Frankfurt am Main
  Dr. Simon Green, Institute for German Studies, Birmingham
  James Levy, U.S. Embassy, Berlin
• 10.30 a.m.: Coffee break
• 10.45 a.m.: The role of naturalization for the integration process: Research results
  Prof. Dr. Richard Alba, University of Albany
  Dr. Andreas Wüst, Mannheim Centre for European Social Research Susanne Worbs/Tanja Wunderlich, european forum for migration studies, Bamberg
• 12 a.m.: Final discussion
• 12.30 a.m.: Adjourn

List of participants (in alphabetical order):

• Semiha Akin, Rechtsreferentin, DGB-Bildungswerk, Bereich Migration und Qualifizierung (Education Centre of the German Trade Union, department Migration and Qualification)
• Prof. Dr. Richard Alba, Department of Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York
• Dr. Doris Dickel, Referentin, Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration (Office of the Commissioner of the Federal Government for Migration, Refugees and Integration)
• Dr. Claudia Diehl, Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung (Federal Institute for Population Research)
• Dr. Christian Dornis, Richter am Amtsgericht Elmshorn (Judge at the District Court Elmshorn)
• RA Viktor Foerster, Vorstandvorsitzender efms e.V., Kanzlei Foerster + Rutow (Managing Director efms e.V.)
• Bernd Geiß, Referatsleiter Interministerieller Arbeitsstab, Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration (Office of the Commissioner of the Federal Government for Migration, Refugees and Integration, Head of Department Inter-ministry Working group)
• Dr. Simon Green, Institute for German Studies, University of Birmingham
• Dr. Michael Griesbeck, Abteilungspräsident Integration, Bundesamt für die Anerkennung ausländischer Flüchtlinge (Federal Agency for the Recognition of Foreign Refugees, Head of Department Integration)
• Dr. Heike Hagedorn, Referat M1"Grundsatzfragen der Migration", Bundesministerium des Innern (Federal Ministry of the Interior, Department for General Questions on Migration)
• Dr. Christoph Hauschild, Regierungsdirektor, Referatsleiter M8 "Grundsatzfragen der Integration", Bundesministerium des Innern (Federal Ministry of the Interior, Head of Department General Questions on Integration)
• Prof. Dr. Friedrich Heckmann, Professor für Soziologie an der Universität Bamberg Leiter des europäischen forums für migrationsstudien (Professor for Sociology and Director of the european forum for migration studies)
• Thomas Jacobs, Akademie für Erwachsenenbildung, Korbach (Academy for Adult Education, Korbach)
• Barbara John, (Ehem. Beauftragte für Integration und Migration des Senats von Berlin), Koordinatorin Sprach-und Bildungsmaßnahmen für Migranten (former Commissioner for Integration and Migration of the Berlin Senate, now Coordinator for Language Tuition and Integration Measures for Migrants)
• Martin Jungnickel, Regierungsdirektor, Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt (Naturalization Office, Darmstadt)
• Bernd Knopf, Pressesprecher, Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration (Office of the Commissioner of the Federal Government for Migration, Refugees and Integration, Press officer)
• Prof. Dr. Rey Koslowski, Department of Political Sciences, Rutgers University - Newark
• James Levy, Leiter der Konsularabteilung, Amerikanische Botschaft (U.S. Embassy, Head of the Consular Section)
• Heike MacKerron, The German Marshall Fund of the United States
• Dr. Albrecht Magen, Stadtrat, Dezernent für Integration, Stadt Frankfurt am Main (City Council, Head of the Department Integration, City Frankfurt am Main)
• Dr. Ursula Mehrländer, Leiterin der Abteilung Arbeit und Sozialpolitik, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Bonn (Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Head of the Department Labour and Social Policy)
• Mario Peucker (assistant), europäisches forum für migrationsstudien (Conference assistant, european forum for migration studies)
• Dr. Alfred Schmidt, Volkswagen Stiftung (Volkswagen Foundation)
• Jochen Schoenthaler, Virtueel Inburgeringsloket, Amsterdam
• Dr. Jörn Sommer, Projektleiter, Gesellschaft für Innovationsforschung und Beratung mbH (GIB) (Company for Innovation Research and Consulting mbH, Head of Project)
• Ines Sprenger, Referentin, Ministerium für Arbeit, Soziales, Gesundheit und Frauen, Ausländerbeauftragte des Landes Brandenburg (Office of the Commissioner for Foreigners of Brandenburg)
• Hans-Josef Stein, Regierungsdirektor, Referatsleiter M7 "Staatsangehörigkeits- und Einbürgerungsangelegenheiten; Staatsangehörigkeitsrecht" (Federal Ministry of the Interior, Head of Department Citizenship Law and Naturalization Affairs)
• Ulrich de Taillez, Ministerialdirigent, Bayerisches Staatsministerium des Innern (Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior)
• Ingrid Tucci, Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW) (German Institute for Economic Research)
• RA Walter J. Weber, Stiftung Bevölkerung, Migration und Umwelt (Foundation Population, Migration and Environment)
• Richard Wolf, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien (Researcher, european forum for migration studies)
• Susanne Worbs, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien (Researcher, european forum for migration studies)