Germany has translated the first 20 articles of the country’s constitution, which outline basic rights like freedom of speech, into Arabic for refugees to help them integrate.
Germany is struggling to cope with an expected influx of some 800,000 people this year, both economic migrants and asylum seekers fleeing from war torn countries.
Germany doing its best to make things go smoothly as hundreds of thousands of refugees arrived in the country. Germany’s vice chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, a Social Democrat, has called on refugees to integrate quickly.
Violent clashes among asylum seekers and reports of homeless refugees sleeping on streets in Berlin has raised new concerns whether bureaucratic and rule-obsessed Germany will be able to cope?.
“Germany is no arbitrary destination. Those who come here need to be aware of our rules of living together,” Gabriel told German tabloid newspaper. To facilitate that process, the vice chancellor announced that the first 20 articles of the country’s constitution have been translated into Arabic.
About 10,000 copies have already been printed and will be distributed at refugee registration centers. That will hardly be enough for all 800,000 to 1 million refugees who are expected to apply for asylum in Germany by the end of this year.
Sigmar Gabriel told that refugees are welcome but that they have to make an effort to fit in.
“No one is forced to change their religion or to alter his private life. But what is important for our culture is that the principles of our democratic society apply to everyone,” Gabriel added.
Refugees had to accept principles such as the division of church and state, equal rights for men and women, the right to be homosexual and freedom of expression, he said. He also pointed out that anti-Semitism is not tolerated in Germany.