The debates surrounding asylum, migration, and refugees will significantly influence the outcome of the next German federal election. In recent years, right-wing populist parties across Europe have succeeded in framing migration as a threat to the nation-state. This rhetoric often deliberately blends asylum, forced displacement, and educational or labour migration to reinforce narratives of "us" versus "them." At the same time, the existence and contributions and achievements of millions of citizens with migration background are rendered invisible and devalued.
The Importance of the Local Level
The rise of disruptive, migration-hostile narratives and politics is fuelled, at least in part, by the demographic challenges faced by European societies. Declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy are reshaping age structures, while overall population numbers shrink. Positive migration balances counteract population decline but cannot reverse the trend of aging. Meanwhile, European societies are becoming more diverse, characterized by ethnic diversity and multiple cultural identities.
Cities and municipalities play a decisive role in fostering social cohesion. Here, people engage in everyday interactions: working—whether with or without migration background—in businesses, municipal offices, or craft industries, riding buses, applying for passports, or participating in local associations. Over the past 15 years, local governments have faced significant challenges, with hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and refugees requiring housing and integration. In 2022 alone, over a million people fleeing the war in Ukraine arrived in Germany. Quick solutions, such as emergency accommodations, often required collaboration between municipal administrations, private companies, and civil society.
Despite limited resources and constrained investments in infrastructure, many local communities have found innovative ways to keep public life vibrant. However, many municipalities are now reaching their limits. Public acceptance of refugees—often grouped together with all migrants—seems to be declining. Crisis narratives and fear-based scenarios are deliberately propagated by extremist parties and amplified by mainstream parties (Neu, 2024).
Municipalities Ill-Prepared for Crises
Successful integration stories are seldom highlighted: examples such as people successfully starting a professional career in a local craft business or municipal utility company, cooperation between religious communities, or intergenerational and intercultural cooking events are underreported. No doubt, opportunities for intergenerational collaboration on future-oriented issues—including the integration of migrants—are rarely utilized as resources at the local level (Neu, 2023). Furthermore, many municipalities are inadequately prepared for conflicts and crises, often lacking strategic plans to counter democratic backsliding and anti-democratic attacks at the local level (Neu, 2024). In many cases, local governments and civil society organizations must address these crises without access to research-based information, policy recommendations, or peer exchange with other practitioners.
Research on social spaces (Kersten/Neu/Vogel, 2022) has shown that public spaces for interaction and exchange are crucial for social cohesion. New partnerships between civil society, local administrations, and private enterprises are increasingly emerging to tackle challenges such as accommodating refugees but also preserving public amenities like swimming pools or community centres. These local contexts lay the foundation for trust, integration, and social cohesion. While successful integration happens locally, conflicts over identities and democratic values also play out at the local level.
EU-funded Project: We-ID
The EU-funded project "Identities – Migration – Democracy (We-ID)", led by Prof. Dr. Claudia Neu (University of Göttingen), addresses these dynamics. Researchers examine how migration, demographic changes, and ongoing crises influence social cohesion and democracy in Europe. The project’s core objective is to identify how local communities navigate profound demographic shifts to achieve successful integration and strengthen democratic structures. Case studies in several European countries will inform the development of a practical toolbox with actionable recommendations for local actors and practitioners.
Project partners include the University of St. Andrews (Scotland), Bocconi University (Italy), the Institute for Population and Human Studies (Bulgaria), the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences (Croatia), Population Europe (Max Planck Society), the Council of the Baltic Sea States, and the Civics Innovation Hub. More information can be found at https://population-europe.eu/about-us/current-projects/identities-migration-democracy-we-id.
Literature
Kersten, Jens/Neu, Claudia/Vogel, Berthold (2022): Das Soziale-Orte-Konzept. Hamburg.
Neu, Claudia (2024): Empowering instead of discouraging: Empowerment strategies for a resilient civil society, Discussion Paper No. 21, Berlin. https://population-europe.eu/files/documents/pe_dp_no.21_englisch_web.pdf
Neu, Claudia (2023): Generationenübergreifendes bürgerschaftliches Engagement für Zukunftsthemen in Kommunen, Diskussion Paper Population Europe Nr. 17, Berlin. https://population-europe.eu/files/documents/pe_dp_neu_2022_02_27.pdf
Acknowledgement:
This publication is part of the "Identities – Migration – Democracy (We-ID)" project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the grant agreement ID: 101177925. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.