United in Diversity

We, the foreign citizens, make up almost half of the population of Munich. Without us, this city would collapse. The city administration needs to change its approach. It must understand it is the city that needs us, and not the other way around. And finally start conceiving itself as a service provider for all its citizens.

That is my main motivation for getting elected into the Migrationsbeirat.

I moved from Spain to Munich 16 years ago (after finishing my degree in translation and interpreting). I was very lucky to already speak German and know quite a lot about the culture when I arrived. But nobody should be expected to understand Verwaltungsdeutsch* – not even German citizens! And nobody should have to wait (and suffer stress under uncertainty) for months to get their residence permit processed! When highly qualified people end up losing their job, it is not only a loss for the affected person, but also a huge loss for the economy of the city.

* Verwaltungsdeutsch: overly complicated variety of German used in most administrative documents – including letters inviting refugees to their very first German course (!)

To me, democracy means freedom. Freedom to say, do or be what you want. 

Born and raised in the Netherlands, I am used to living in a country where democracy seems normal. I took it for granted. But events all over the world showed me I have to work to protect democracy.

I am an active member of Volt, the political party that has European cooperation and integration as its main goal. When I heard part of the Munich City Council wanted to get rid of the election for the Migrationsbeirat, I knew I had to step up.
My goal is to increase the visibility of the Migrationsbeirat, so that more people use their right to vote and so that the elected members are a better representation of the progressive population of this beautiful city.

I came to Germany as a refugee child without the care of my parents, so I have also had this kind of experience and would therefore like to strongly advocate for the needs of those affected. As a current member of the Migration Advisory Council, I have consistently advocated for the needs of the community. In particular, I would like to give the community of fellow citizens from former Yugoslavia and artists a stronger voice in the Council.

I have actively opposed the policy of Russian President Putin and I still do. I am against this terrible, unjust, inhumane war in Ukraine. That’s why I had to leave Russia and now Munich became my new home. And I want to give back to the city and its inhabitants.

I am politically active, because I can’t accept the current state of things. For immigrants in Germany, life is like an obstacle course, and I want to break down those barriers. I know from my own experience and experience working with refugees, that the system is far from perfect. I understand what immigrants and refugees have to go through.

My priority is to improve the quality of life of other people, especially those who are most vulnerable: immigrants, refugees, representatives of the LGBT community. I want to do good in this world, make sure people don’t have to go through hard times alone. And to fight for equal rights, also for those who do not have a German passport. That’s why I am a volunteer at organizations that help refugees, including Ukrainian refugees, in particular MunichKyivQueer, LeTRa and others. That’s why I want to become a member of the Migrationsbeirat.

The Migrationsbeirat is a very important institution in our city and it must continue to have an open ear for several hundred thousand citizens with a migration background, to be their mouthpiece towards the city administration and at the same time work active for the integration of these citizens, intercultural exchange and the promotion of such projects. I wish to promote the development of cultural life in our city through active participation in the Migration Advisory Council.

That’s why I, as a part of United in Diversity, as an immigrant and as a student, want to bring the problems faced by the immigrants to light and make them noticed more.

I love Germany and especially Munich for hosting me and making me feel at home. At my “new home”, there are some pressing issues for immigrants like awareness of employee rights, availability of jobs and processing times of the foreigner’s office. These problems are not part of the mainstream topics in Munich politics because immigrants lack a strong voice. 

As a part of “United in Diversity”, I want to have a stronger united voice to make my new home better for everyone, including you, with your help.

My name is Taha Elmaadani, born in Morocco and have been in Germany since 2006. In Munich I have completed both bachelor studies in Business Informatics and master studies in Stochatic Engineering. Then I started my professional life. In the meantime I have been working in IT for over 6 years. I like to spend my free time with nice company. I am also very active in sports and I am looking forward to a lot of activities there.

In Munich I feel now settled and it has become a sweet home. I like the city life here. The city has to offer a lot of history, a lot of Bavarian culture, wonderful beer gardens and of course parts of the best cultural institutions in Germany.

I am deeply convinced that with a better known and more diverse Migrationsbeirat, we can channel its potential and make foreign citizens coming to or living in Munich feel heard. Giving them the chance to share their issues, to learn from each other and most importantly to know their rights, so that they can feel more at home in their (new) city. This will be precisely my main motivation.