In Berlin, journalist Urszula Ptak says German social assistance encourages immigrants to accept aid without working, leading to a 40‑percent effective integration rate.
Urszula Ptak on immigrants in Germany: They Must Understand They Are Given Opportunities
Urszula Ptak, a journalist who lives in Berlin, was a guest on Gazeta.pl’s podcast “To nie takie proste” (It Isn’t That Simple). In the interview she discussed her experiences working with immigrants, leading integration workshops and teaching German.
These people must understand that they are given a chance—a chance for a different life, a chance to decide how they live, dress, think, and shape their professional future. They can learn an entirely new profession, and the state will pay for it. I tell them this is a luxury, because in no other European country I have found such an opportunity, she said.
German Social Aid Makes You Stop Swimming
According to her, this can be frightening for some immigrants, as “people are thrown into an ocean of possibilities and must swim.” She elaborated that German social aid is such that it renders people incapable of swimming.
You can do nothing, and the money will keep coming—rent will be paid, heating will be covered, and so on,” she added. “I always argue to keep the radiator turned off and only open the window. People don’t have this reflex because the state covers heating, so you regulate temperature by opening a window,” she explained. “These are small everyday details. For example, not being afraid to go to a German supermarket and buy a product, because otherwise they would shop at Turkish or Arabic stores.”
Urszula Ptak: Only 40% of Integration is Successful
In the conversation with Grzegorz Sroczyński, she noted that not all immigrants take advantage of the opportunities Germany offers. Some people use them right away, others after five or six months, and some never do.
Germany’s main problem, according to her, is with those who never take advantage. She believes only 40% of immigrant integration can be considered “successful.”
