11. fejezet: Hálózatépítés és társadalmi részvétel

Many EU nationals in Germany see themselves primarily as Europeans and increasingly less as 'migrants'. According to their self-image, they see themselves as mobile workers, as university citizens in the sense of the free movement of workers and with the corresponding rights with legal equality with German citizens. Most of them are well networked in their community and exchange takes place dynamically via social networks. Some immigrants are also organised in migrant organisations.

Associations and organisations of EU nationals in Saxony-Anhalt are not only represented in the metropolitan regions of Magdeburg and Halle, but are increasingly active here. Via the associations as social intersections and organisational initiators, events and support are offered, for example, for language learning. Associations of immigrants from Europe are valuable contact points, especially for newly arrived Europeans.

In Saxony-Anhalt, one of the largest organisations representing the interests of migrants from Europe is AGSA e.V. and LAMSA e.V. Both associations have the largest number of members with a migration background and provide a wide range of services through their member organisations. Many of the member organisations are run by European compatriots.

The Auslandsgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt e. V. (AGSA) is an umbrella organisation with 46 member organisations that advocate democratic coexistence and equal social participation regardless of origin, religion, language and other characteristics. The associations and migrant organisations represented in the AGSA, most of which work on a voluntary basis, offer new immigrants social contact points. The einewelt haus in Magdeburg is a place of intercultural engagement and networking. With events such as the language café and a wide range of cultural activities offered by the associations, the AGSA is an open house for interested people from all countries and facilitates open intercultural exchange.

The Saxony-Anhalt Migrant Organisations Network (LAMSA) has represented the political, economic, social and cultural interests of people with a migration background at the state level since 2008.

It sees itself as their advocate and is available as a contact partner for the state government, all associations and institutions relevant to migration policy and other migrant organisations in other federal states. LAMSA was founded as a non-profit association in March 2014.

Currently, more than 100 organisations and individuals of different origins, cultural backgrounds and religious affiliations are represented in LAMSA.

With their migrant organisations, both associations offer a variety of services for new arrivals from Europe and around the world. These include:

• language mediation services
• mother-tongue counselling
• Events such as language cafés, sewing courses, language courses, further training courses
• Educational services such as homework supervision
• Offers for parental education
• Offers for social integration and voluntary work

The member associations organised in the AGSA and the LAMSA represent an international diversity of interests and perspectives, cultures and activities.

Many of them offer themselves as a contact point for immigrants from all over Europe. Here, Europeans organise themselves for bilateral exchange, cultivation of language and culture as well as support in arriving and settling in Saxony-Anhalt:

• Bund der Polen in Magdeburg e.V.
• Centro Italiano di Cultura Sachsen-Anhalt e.V. (CIMA e.V.)
• Deutsch-Bulgarische soziokulturelle Vereinigung e.V.
• Deutsch-Finnische Gesellschaft e.V. Landesverband Sachsen-Anhalt
• Deutsch-Französische Gesellschaft Magdeburg e.V.
• Deutsch-Italienische Gesellschaft e.V.
• Deutsch-Polnische Gesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt e.V.
• Harmonia e.V. - Internationales Zentrum für Kultur, Bildung und Soziales in Sachsen-Anhalt
• Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland e.V.
• MERIDIAN e.V. - Verein zur Förderung der Verständigung zwischen Menschen unterschiedlicher Nationen
• Ungarn mitten in Sachsen-Anhalt e.V.
• Weltunion Magdeburger Juden e.V. (WMJ)

These organisations campaigned for the active shaping of life and work in the European Union:

• Europa Union Deutschland Landesverband Sachsen-Anhalt
• JEF - Junge Europäische Föderalisten Sachsen-Anhalt e.V.
• Offener Kanal Magdeburg e.V.

The immigration of citizens from the European Union to Saxony-Anhalt has been steadily increasing for years. A proportionally large number of people with an immigration history live here, including many who have a university degree or have lived here for a long time. In fact, the immigration history in Saxony-Anhalt is essentially shaped by the dynamics in the European internal area - with EU citizens as the numerically largest immigrant group.

A large part of the communication in the communities takes place via various channels in the social media. Here, community-specific exchange forums and interest groups can be found, and answers and advice are exchanged in chats on frequently discussed case studies, regulations and problems.

In the EUmigra project of the Auslandsgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt e.V., network representatives publish information in many European languages via the social network Facebook. Here you can find the German "mother page" of the Fach- und Servicestelle EU-Migration Sachsen-Anhalt as well as the eight daughter pages so far:

• EUmigra Fach- und Servicestelle EU-Migration Sachsen Anhalt
• EUmigra-България
• EUmigra Česká republika
• EUmigra España
• EUmigra Hrvatska
• EUmigra Italia
• EUmigra Polska
• EUmigra România
• EUmigra Ungarn/Magyar

Initiatives that offer, for example, encounter cafés and language cafés in Magdeburg:

• platz*machen e.V.
• Sprachcafé Magdeburg – „Zeit für dich und deine Sprachen“
• Blickwechsel e.V.
• BEGINN NEBENAN

If you are an EU national living in Germany, you have the right to vote and stand as a candidate in local elections. It is not necessary for you to first declare your intention to vote and register on the electoral roll. In Germany, you are automatically entered on the electoral roll for local elections.

As an EU national, you vote or stand as a candidate under the same conditions as nationals of your country of residence. If nationals have to have lived in the country or municipality for a certain period of time in order to be allowed to vote or stand as a candidate, this also applies to you.

As a rule, foreigners' advisory councils are municipal political bodies elected by immigrants to represent the interests of all people with a migration background. They advocate for equality and equal participation of immigrants and support in many ways the networking work between bodies, institutions, agencies and other interested actors that is necessary for integration processes.

In Saxony-Anhalt, the foreigners' advisory councils of Magdeburg and Halle coordinate numerous support services for all immigrants. Through the foreigners' advisory councils and the corresponding service pages, interested parties can also get in touch with the important state networks for integration work.

Another good way of social networking and participation is to join a sports club. The landscape of sports clubs in Saxony-Anhalt is extremely diverse, because the large sports family of the LSB Saxony-Anhalt currently includes more than 3,100 sports clubs.

These are open to all citizens of the state between Altmark and Burgenlandkreis and offer outdoor or indoor sports, individual or team sports.

You can use the search form of the Saxony-Anhalt Sports Federation to search specifically for a club in your locality or in the surrounding area - depending on your favourite sport.