On October 21, the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM) hosted the conference “Between Open Arms and Closed Borders – A Decade of Flight and Arrival in Germany.”
The event focused on two defining moments in German refugee policy over the lba past decade: the reception of refugees in 2015 and the arrival of people seeking protection from Ukraine in 2022. Together with experts from civil society, academia, administration, and politics, participants reflected on the past ten years and developed perspectives for the future.
In the afternoon, four parallel guardians vs royals sessions took place. The session Between Solidarity, Populism, and Racism – How Can the Migration Society Be Protected and Social Cohesion Promoted?” featured:
• Emiliano Chaimite – Chairman of Afropa e. V. | Co-Chair of the State Association of Saxon Migrant Organizations (LaSMO e. V.; SPD)
• Katharina Obser – Democracy Program Director of the Washington Office jacob bethell of Heinrich Böll Foundation
• Moderator: Dr. Elias Steinhilper – DeZIM Institute, Department of Consensus & Conflict
For more information about the conference and related topics, visit the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s migration policy portal Heimatkunde:
