Do people fear refugees less if they actually meet them? If the only direct contact people have with refugees is via the media and political slogans, are they more likely to be hostile? In last year’s German elections, the anti-refugee Alternative for Germany (AfD) party did very well in small towns such as Bitterfeld-Wolfen that have suffered significantly from deindustrialisation (even if the total numbers of refugees arriving in these towns may typically be less than 1% of the population). Why is that?
In order to take a closer look at the local impact of the refugee crisis, we have launched our ‘Cities & Refugees‘ project – aimed at fostering a Europe-wide dialogue between citizens, refugees and asylum seekers, NGOs, politicians, and European leaders. The emphasis is on connecting local, everyday life at the city level to decisions made in Brussels and national capitals.
Today, we are looking at Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany. Bitterfeld-Wolfen is a town with a population of roughly 41,000, located about 50 km from Leipzig in the east of Germany. The population has plummeted by almost 50% since the collapse of the German Democratic Republic, down from 75,000 in 1989.
Many towns in the area suffered from high levels of unemployment and declining industry after German reunification. Unemployment in Bitterfeld-Wolfen has been falling, but it is still 7.9%, which is more than twice Germany’s national unemployment rate of 3.5%.
The population is 95.9% German, with very low levels of immigration (and most of the immigration that there is comes from elsewhere in Europe). Nevertheless, there is some sympathy for anti-refugee politics. In March 2016, the AfD came first in Bitterfeld and second in Wolfen in Saxony-Anhalt’s state elections. In 2017, Angela Merkel faced a hostile reception in Bitterfeld when she held a rally their during her re-election campaign, with protests over her stance on refugees.
Curious to know more about refugees in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany? We’ve put together some facts and figures in the infographic below (click for a bigger version).
What do our readers think? We had a comment sent in from Adrian, who argues that, in Britain, most voters for the anti-immigration UK Independence Party (UKIP) are from “remote towns where there are no immigrants”. In other words, some of those who are most strongly against immigration have had little direct experience of it. Is he right? Is fear and distrust of refugees stronger in small towns without many migrants than it is in big cities which have had lots of immigration already?
To get a reaction, we spoke to the mayor of Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Armin Schenk. What was the experience of his town? Was there more fear of refugees and migration than in larger cities?
I generally cannot agree with this statement because it implies that local people are afraid of refugees. In Bitterfeld-Wolfen, there are currently 370 refugees living here. This only accounts for 0.93% of the total population, i.e. a small proportion. It would be wrong to say that the Bitterfeld-Wolfeners who live here are afraid of these refugees.
Smaller cities offer lots of opportunities to integrate. Here you can meet in-person, and the anonymity of the big city is missing. That’s a chance to talk to each other, to reduce concerns and get to know each other. Fear always offers bad counsel…
To get another perspective, we put the same question to Dr. David Schiefer, a Researcher in the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration’s Research Unit. What would he say?
Basically, empirical studies show that people in large cities often have a more positive attitude towards refugees than in small ones. There are several reasons for this, including that they are more exposed to opportunities to make contact [with refugees], and contact between different groups is often sufficient to change their mindsets positively. Then, in more rural areas, there are often other values and lifestyles. More open and liberal people are more likely to move to larger cities. That would be the second reason for this difference.
However, one can also find very large differences in attitudes between the smaller municipalities of Germany, for example in the openness of the people and the support structures. There are very small cities with open attitudes, but also large cities with rather negative attitudes.
Next, we put the same question to Arne Lietz, a German social democratic Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Saxony-Anhalt, who lives very close to the town of Bitterfeld-Wolfen. How would he respond?
Our next reader comment came from Chris, who is angry about refugees because he feels that money which could be spent on regions with high unemployment and poverty in his own country is instead being spent on foreigners. Is he right to be angry?
How would Dr. David Schiefer from the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration respond?
Finally, how would Mayor Armin Schenk reply?
Is fear of refugees stronger in small towns than in big cities? Does greater contact with different cultures make people more open to accepting refugees? Or are concerns based more on competition for public resources (and, if so, are they justified)? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!
The Debating Europe “Cities & Refugees” project is co-funded by the European Union’s “Europe for Citizens” program.
IMAGE CREDITS: (c) / BigStock – artefacti (antifa protesters in Leipzig), PORTRAIT CREDITS: Schenk (c), Schiefer (c)
83 comments Post a commentcomment
Everyone who wishes to protect their culture & identity should fear mass migration, to do otherwise can only & will lead to the destruction of Western Civilisation.
You know what could work for you? A time machine. You could go live back in 20th century along with people like you.
You mean like the 99.9% of people on the planet that would agree with me ? It is you and the pro EU fanatics who believe in no borders that belong in the last century & there is a reason people who believe in the no borders fantasy are not remembered, their societies fell and history forgot them.
The barbarians really are at the gate and it’s people like you that would let them in, fortunately you represent a very, very, very small number of people.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/23/66m-migrants-waiting-cross-europe-africa-report/
And with Africa’s projected rise in population the coming 30-odd years, it’ll only get worse. Far worse.
Wait, if 99.9% of people on the planet fear mass migration because it will lead to the destruction of Western Civilisation, who is actually doing the mass migrating? 00.01% of people on the planet?
Or rather, 00.1%. Goodness, my maths
James McManama That would be the millions of people wanting to or actually migrating for a better life in the West, the fact they want & demand a better life doesn’t mean we should just role over and ‘give’ it to them.
It would be interesting to note what cultures and identities need protecting…. Is it those ones that have never grown out of all the natural migration that has gone on since the dawn of time? Like for example the British culture and identity…… You know, the one that has been formed over the centuries via many interactions and rule from people of other countries or are we talking about the other countries that the British have forced their cultures and identities on for many centuries?
Lisa Loucapone Hillman-Derre Do you mean ‘the other countries that the British have forced their cultures and identities on for many centuries’ that happen to be the most stable, democratic and free Nations on Earth ? If so maybe the British Empire should have taken over more countries than it did.
Your fantasy – The West (British morality) is to blame for every problem the world faces.
Reality – Western ( British) values and way of live has improved the lives of billions the world over.
Strange that nearly all of those poor Nations that were invaded by the nasty British even today hold Great Britain in such high regard don’t you think, or maybe your illusions blur your vision of reality.
http://thecommonwealth.org
Paulius Paždagis You act like wanting to preserve your culture and national identity is a radical idea lmfao, I am pretty sure that the person that wants to flood his own country with people from the 3th world is the radical.
Even if all 6.6m immigrants come, there’s still gonna be 520m Europeans.
Don’t bother with this guy, just take a quick glance at his profile he’s clearly a crackpot
Yannick Bours
There are 51 Nation States so there are 741.4 million ‘Europeans’, the EU is not Europe & Europe is not the EU.
A handful of Russians conqured all of Eastern Europe and killed 60 – 100 million people.
A small number of fanatics conned 500 million people into the EU.
So yes, 6.6m immigrants is more than enough to destroy Wester democracy.
But thank you for your insult, tell me, why do you fanatics hate free speech so much I wonder.
Yannick Bours Just how many do you think it would take to bring chaos to Europe ?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/07/11/cologne-germany-sexual-assaults/86939142/
The “so called” British identity is just an amalgamate as a consequence of continuous foreign influences in the British isles over the past millennia. At the very root it’s African, but it’s also Roman, Scandinavian, Normand, French, you name it. The same goes for all other current European nations. The notion of “national identity” is merely an extremely temporary cultural dot on a very long timeline, which varies continuously. The infamous British, French or Spanish empires were preceded by the Roman one (which in turn was founded by Northern African tribes, by the way), the Persian one, etc… and in the other hemispheres other empires existed and established temporary notions of “identity”. It’s the lack of cultural-historical insight and fear of the unknown which always were, and still for a long time, will be the drivers of misunderstanding. Let’s be clear on one thing: it goes without saying that the rule of the house-owner applies for whomever visits the house, and that respect in that sense is the least that can be expected. But that’s another debate.
What is the British culture? It doesn’t exist, the English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish cultures exist
Bart CJ Derre You could make the same claim for the regions of Poland or any Nation, it’s an idiotic claim but you could make it.
Would you argue the fact the ‘British culture’ forged the modern world ?
https://listverse.com/2016/08/01/top-10-things-the-british-empire-got-right/
Bart CJ Derre Well done for pointing out how all Nations are created, not sure why you felt the need to do it but well done anyway..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN9EC3Gy6Nk
Ivan burrows… “the most stable, democratic and free nations” I really can’t help but question that statement for a great many reasons… Also I question how much instability those so called stable democratic nations create elsewhere in their arrogance.
To quote you “Western ( British) values and way of live has improved the lives of billions the world over.”
The question could be posed, “improved for whom?”
I’m assuming we are to ignore the parts of factual history that prove otherwise.
Do you not see the hypocrisy in your own statements regarding the british invading other countries and” improving them” when trying to argue against migration and there being a need to protect culture and identity?
Lisa Loucapone Hillman-Derre .
You can argue the point all you like but Great Britain, The USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, etc, and all English speaking Nations are without doubt the most advanced Nations on Earth.
I do not argue against immigration, I like most people am against the forced introduction of 7th century culture into the most advanced civilisation the world as ever known, they are not the same thing and history shows it never ends well for the invaded.
Ivan burrows, just out of interest, your comments would suggest that you are British, I may be wrong, but if so, and in view of your opinion regarding protecting cultures and identity from migration, would you clarify and define what specifically, in point form if easier, what British identity and culture is please. I’m genuinely interested.
As an added point of interest, your surname…
“Burrows family bears a name that was brought to England by the migration wave that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066.”
Ivan burrows. Sorry, again, just to clarify, previously you stated…
“Strange that nearly all of those poor Nations that were invaded by the nasty British even today hold Great Britain in such high regard”
And…
“Reality – Western ( British) values and way of live has improved the lives of billions the world over.”
However, in your last comment you made the statement…
“history shows it never ends well for the invaded.”
Forgive me but are they not contradictory statements?
Lisa Loucapone Hillman-Derre It would take an essay to fully explain ‘British identity’ but in a nutshell it is a refusal to be dictated to by anyone that does not believe in the right of self determination, be it Charles VI, the Catholic Church, Napoleon, The National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi), or Brussels and a belief in the rights of the individual over the State (Magna Charter) within the bonds of common law.
The latter being used to create democracy around the world.
Ivan burrows
Again, to quote
” I like most people am against the forced introduction of 7th century culture into the most advanced civilisation the world as ever known”
Is this statement based on actual researched statistics or merely trying to back up your own views with false statements?
If gleaned from factual researched stats, I’d be very interested to see for myself the actual study if you could reference it please. Cheers =)
Mr. Burrows, the difference between actual reading and understanding, and only seeing what one wants to see distinguishes those who want to learn, from those who prefer to stick to ignorance… To spell it out more clearly: the importance of a form of nationality is insignificant on the timescale, as it’s just as passing blip on the radar of time. What matters are all the influences that contribute to an ever changing culture. Those believing they are part of the “pinnacle of civilisation”, are in fact merely a part of that temporary dot in the scheme of history and infinitely overestimate in their ignorance the importance of the level of “civilisation” they are part of. So, it’s not at all about the forming of nations. It’s about the insignificance of nations… :)
Lisa, a very good point: nations and religion claim equally they have “improved” the standards of others. Let’s look at this in detail a bit: the key role the British empire has played in the slave trade (and still denied or ignored by so many) is probably one of those positive elements and respectable British values Mr. Burrows refers to? ;) As to: it never ends well for the invaded: well, as one of the absolute masters of invasion and colonisation, the British empire have imposed this credo all over the globe, for a little while! Let’s take the Polynesian islands for instance: the population there didn’t know the concept of war, until they had the British as uninvited “guests” and soon after peace was over. Another example of those fine values Western “civilisation” spread across the globe… As to the “most advanced civilisation the world has ever known”: when Mahatma Gandhi was asked what he thought of Western civilization, he replied that he thought it might be a good idea… :)
I often see the word “advanced” being used as a tool of superiority, a grandiose way of inferring powerful positive one-upmanship.
People might do well to also remember that advancement as in the case of cancer for example, also means that a disease ridden entity is far from being healthy and its only future will be death!
Lisa Loucapone Hillman-Derre Sorry comrade but you are waffling.
Ivan burrows, perhaps more a case of making valid points that can’t be answered? And no, I think I will decline the label of being your comrade. But cheers all the same! =)
Lisa Loucapone Hillman-Derre Your comment was meaningless and relevant to neither the post or my comment and I call you ‘comrade’ because of your obvious hatred of free speech, something not seen in such abundance since the hight of the EU’s predecessor, the USSR.
Interesting historical fact: the predecessor of the EU was the USSR… That says enough about the intellectual level of this debate… :D :D :D
Bart CJ Derre If you prefer to use Nazi Germany as the EU’s role model that would be equally as valid but you must remember that the European Commission (it’s government) is unelected which as more in common with Russian Socialism than German Socialism.
Ivan burrows… The 2nd unfounded and incorrect statement of character!
Lisa Loucapone Hillman-Derre If you say so comrade, if you say so..
Lisa Loucapone Hillman-Derre Burning Isreal’s flag is sure not an aspect that belongs to British identity and culture^^
The fly on the glass of milk can be seen no matter the size of the glass.
Not if the glass is the size of a country and the fly is the size of a man in a small town. Then the fly can see probably 3 miles to the horizon in every direction? Less if the weather is bad and visibility is poor.
Just reading through this list of comments who claim Britain did not educate and raise much of the world out of the social horror called their roots.
Well, if the British didn’t, why is the world peoples following them home as fast as their shoeless feet can carry them? And take a good look at Namibia. Never touched by British colonialism. And Haiti, now who is responsible for that hellish existence. Of course, we know Clinton stole their charitable funds en masse. But, hey, you mustn’t mention that. Weren’t this pair going to change the world with their New World Order beliefs? Along with that old onion about women will make better, more merciful, non warring leaders. Please, give it a break. They are all bent.
India for example, steeped in racial abuse. Want to be an ‘untouchable’ in that society? And this is the attitude so many of their people have brought into our health service. Untouchables must be left to die.
Africa, the Southern states in particular, steeped in violence and clinging on with their fingertips to what they once felt was a ‘better way of life,’ but, under Magabe and his tribesmen, it has completely fallen apart and back to the starvation of the slavery they lived under, prior to the British teaching. South Africa, in hot pursuit behind him. Check out all the rest of the Commonwealth, are they doing well under their own steam? They sink further, by the day, into a mess none of them want to remain in. Hence the rush to the UK claiming citizenship at the same time as crying, down with the Englishmen. They only remain in other European states long enough to gain a red passport of European citizenship then frantically make their way to the UK, as quickly as they hold that passport in the clammy hand. Determined to follow us home and beg for charity they cannot get anywhere else, but mostly importantly, not from their own homebred leaders.
So, the Englishman taught the world not just a language that enabled them to communicate as functioning intellects, but a code of merciful living.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymI5Uv5cGU4
Most likely
Me and Ivan are working on a time machine start up. The goal is to go back to 20th century where everything is just so nice. Join us guys.
I suggest looking at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipler_cylinder
You’ll have to prove Hawking wrong first, though.
You mean the times where there was much stronger social cohesion? Times where 1 mans salary could feed his entire family, own a house, own a car and go on a vacation? Lol go ahead, make that time machine.
Asia for the asian people
Africa for african people
But Europe for everyone cuz “times are changing”.
The problem is we African or Asian countries do not bomb Europe and the European do so
Not only you tomb us… but you do it thinking it is a kind of “revenge”. Meanwhile you do not fight for your own country and do not contribute to its growth. You move here for a 50% less salary.
BRILLANT.
Kappe
What you have written reminds me of Bre’r Rabbit, of Uncle Remus fame,when he yelled as loud as he could, ‘don’t thrown me in that there briar patch, whatever you do with me, please, don’t throw me in that there briar patch.’ That rabbit was a very clever, street smart, from birth briar patch dweller.
It should be in small towns…
Exactly!, it should be in the small cities and , as for Oslo I can ‘t see a big deal of distinction between a London. That’s because they’re better integrated than in the smallest cities , and they’re respected too.
Why should small cities FEAR refugees?
“The cheapest sort of pride is national pride; for if a man is proud of his own nation, it argues that he has no qualities of his own of which he can be proud; otherwise he would not have recourse to those which he shares with so many millions of his fellowmen. The man who is endowed with important personal qualities will be only too ready to see clearly in what respects his own nation falls short, since their failings will be constantly before his eyes. But every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud adopts, as a last resource, pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and glad to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority.” Schopenhauer
Well, guess Shopenhauer was a retard.
Here Schopenhauer is incurring in several fallacies. First, he is implying that a man can only have either personal pride or national pride, but not both. But someone can be proud of his own accolades and of his nation’s, they’re not mutually exclusive. Second, he is stating that being proud of one’s nation means not seeing any fault in it. That is obviously untrue, a great example being the father who sees faults in the behaviour of his children and still is proud of them.
Ah yes, here we go with the German autism
They are not refugees, but invaders!
We do not want illegal immigration.
Good for you. The question is about refugees, not illegal migration. ;)
Most of them are illegal immigrants and they have not the right to stay here in my country.
Only the 5% of them can because they are Syrian
Do you have any citation for that whatsoever?
U mean source ? U can search on the Italian Institute of Stats.
As much as I’d love to search through the Italian Institue of Stats’ website, do you actually have a link to what you claim or did you pull it up out of nowhere?
Yes just gimme some time
Fear? Or self-preservation?
It’s the same (at least, in this case). But the second expression is more… polite.
I think so. Definitively, it’s normal that big cities have multicultural societies but small towns (and villages, over all) have a more reduced environment. This situation makes more difficult this social integration.
People of big cities simply don’t care about anything at all if not money and easy life
@DEBATING EUROPE
Would you please confirm that the Adrian you referred to is NOT the one who has made repeated RACIST remarks about non-whites and British citizens. If he is the same hyper-Europhile-Bigot it reflects badly on DEBATING EUROPE.
Hi Tarquin,
Racist remarks are completely against our code of conduct, and our policy is to take them down. Let us know if you see someone making racist comments on the platform by emailing us at info@debatingeurope.eu
@DEBATING EUROPE
Where can I see your code of conduct please?
Also, you didn’t quite address my original specific question, can I put this to you again please?
You can find our Code of Conduct here: https://www.debatingeurope.eu/terms/.
If you click on Adrian’s name in the article above, the link will lead you to his original comment, which was not in conflict with our terms of use.
@DEBATING EUROPE
Ah, but is he the same racist EU-phile bigot that has offended me as a person of colour and as a Brit over many postings over the years?
It’s pretty obvious to anyone who has experience of both a big city and a small town
It is simple to remain completely anonymous in a big city where people do not even acknowledge each others existence, nobody bothers to speak to each other in London whether on the streets or on the underground so no one knows who they are sharing a carriage with, immigrant or UK national, no one really cares
Now go to a small town where people know and actually communicate with each other and even a small amount of immigrants will stick out like a sore thumb, so yes, it’s easy to get a different impression about the scale of immigration in a small town
Is fear of refugees stronger in small towns than in big cities?
Fear of mass immigration, the way it has been decided, promoted and encouraged by the EU and the New World Orde, is terrifying to all people who live in law abiding, peaceful civilisations, that feel a desire to continue to live in such an environments.
Please explain who would embrace rape of their young daughters, killing of their sons at a pace unseen in centuries, theft at a level unheard of, or, the threat of violence should they dare to put their foot out of the door. Which, if you live in a highly populated immigrant community, you may well have to face daily. Fear isn’t the word for it, terror is more fitting.Terror of what you will be bringing your children into, terror at knowing your standard of living is going to fall at a rate more rapid than water at Niagara Falls.
By the way, fear of, or, rejection of immigrants cultural practices, or expectation is not, and I repeat, not, racism. When, as Martin Luther King suggested in his speeches of the sixties, to judge people by the content of their character is what is being done by the hosts of this imposition on their communities. They are not racists, they are people who want to live in the society and culture they were raised in. Not some mad house from an alternative universe they are being hounded by at a rate previously unseen in human history.
And, for those who want to live amongst such practice, no one is stopping you. All you have to do is up sticks and go to live where the troubled migrants are coming from. You can kill two birds with one stone by doing that. You can be with those you admire and want to emulate, and at the same time, help their communities to introduce what it is they seek by coming to ours.
It is not your right or anyone else’s to force us opposing citizens into living this horrendous lifestyle with them, unless first you have a vote on it. We are as of my writing still a democracy.
Mind you, small town folk and citizens of countries and regions with very few asylum migrants also travel outside. Number of them thus see what happens and ferments in many of Western-Central Europe’s metropolises, and are perhaps not that keen to have this duplicated at home. So it’s logical.
Refugees ??? Why there are mostly young men….
Damn, I completely forgot that having a penis between your legs precludes you from being a refugee!
True. Assuming this goes on for the next ten years with like half a million dudes in their 20es showing up in Europe every year,to be blunt, we simply gonna run out of pussy^^
Fear is borne out of ignorance, a lack of education, knowledge and understanding… People only need to look a little further than their own noses in order to secure a better future! Bigotry is not and never will be the answer, it merely breeds unending contempt!
No Londonistan Stokolmistan…
@Dr David Schiefer
Are you aware of research that suggests that In large cities like London wherein the indigenous population is in the minority that rates of homophobia are very high? Or indeed rates of anti-semitism are very high? The picture your comments paint are ‘crayonsque’ perhaps?
@ Tarquin Farquhar
Yours would be an important point if you would take the trouble to put your proof of research on here so that we can enlighten ourselves.
As, the last time I saw data on London, it quite clearly showed, immigration and the offspring of immigrants, who believed their true origins were back home. Wherever back home was. In other words, telling us the land of their living, was not their home at all. And not only is it made apparent the migrant levels, legal and illegal, in London was running as high as 66% in major parts of that city. Many of those areas now considered no go areas by the indigenous population of this country. As to enter those parts would more than likely end up with violence of the worst kind against them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SDqzZ_YBFc
And No Go areas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSjiaRzHqdU
This, in any city, is unacceptable. Migrants from outside the UK borders is unsustainable if the indigenous peoples of our country are to maintain their culture and civilisation. If you disagree with this, then, the answer has to be to offer our people a land, akin to Israel, that they can move to where they don’t have to accept a lifestyle and cultural practice not acceptable to them and in effect killing them.
Remember India when it likewise wanted rid of the British under Gandhi. How they dealt with it. I suggest if it cannot be settled appropriately, by those politicians who brought this into our countries, without offering us knowledge of their plan, let alone a vote on it, then we should follow the Indian practice to make sure our lives become worth living again. And that is to ask them to leave in the way they did in India.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZVsWzIb6Vk
And
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZvQPKULDAo
There is no any doubt.
Catalonia have to be an independent Country, it is what we, the people, want.
FALSE DEBATE —> there should be NO REFUGEES EVER AGAIN EVER !!! !!! Stop the world’s production of ALL KINDS of arms and ALL drugs !!! !!!
****Why don’t we STOP ALL WEAPONS & DRUGS production in the WHOLE universe ???**** —- REAL debate no1
Fear of refugees? Why fear for refugees? Refugees are more then welcome. They mostly got nothing but the clothes on them. Fear should be for the economical migrants! Forcing by numerous courtcases to be allowed to stay.