Today, the Saarland state government adopted the draft of the Saarland Integration and Participation Act (InTG SL). The law aims to establish, for the first time, binding legal principles and structures for the state's integration and participation policy. The goal is to sustainably strengthen the equal participation of people with a migration background in the social, political, cultural, and economic life in Saarland.
The law builds on the integration and participation strategy of the Saarland adopted at the beginning of the year and now transforms its central guidelines into binding law. It includes regulations on initial reception and orientation, counseling and language support, education and labor market integration, non-discriminatory access to healthcare, as well as political and social participation. At the same time, the law permanently and cross-legislative anchors important existing structures such as the State Council for Integration and Participation and the State Integration Commissioner.
Social Minister Magnus Jung explains: "Integration is a task for the whole society and only succeeds when support and demand go hand in hand. With the Integration and Participation Act, we are creating a binding framework for modern integration policy in Saarland for the first time. This strengthens the equal participation of people with a migration background, promotes social cohesion, and at the same time establishes clear expectations regarding personal initiative, language acquisition, and active involvement in social life."
In the next step, the law will be introduced to the state parliament by the state government in June.
The integration and participation strategy is available at www.saarland.de/integrationsstrategie.
