My name is Zak, I am a German Chancellor Fellow from Montana, United States studying refugee integration in Germany. In 2018, I developed the idea for my project after working with refugees in Missoula, MT. There I witnessed how a small community, with limited resources and without much previous experience, struggled with the challenges of integrating refugees. At the same time I had seen how Germany had, since 2015, integrated hundreds of thousands of refugees, and I wanted to find out if there were lessons to be learned that could help small communities like Missoula.
My interest in migration and human movement began earlier while growing up in Montana. The state’s beauty instilled in me a sense of “Fernweh” or desire to travel and see far-off places that were equally inspiring. By the time I turned 27, I had been to all 56 counties in Montana, 25 US states, and 8 countries, never doubting my ability to move freely and satisfy my urge to explore. But in 2016, I visited the US/Mexico border where my confidence in free movement was profoundly shaken. I witnessed people trapped between risking their lives to cross a dangerous desert into the US or returning home to threats of violence. I attended a court hearing in which over 40 people who had been caught entering the US were ordered deported. Hearing the sound of chains rattling around ankles in an otherwise silent courtroom made me realize that free movement is a privilege not afforded to everyone equally. It was then that I decided to learn more about migration and advocate for more humane and compassionate policies for people who move.
Now, with the support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, I am conducting a year-long research project on refugees, migration, and integration in Germany. With this opportunity, I want to report the successes and challenges that integration programs face especially in small cities and towns in Germany. I would also like to address the overarching trends in migration to learn how they affect integration efforts on the ground.
I move forward with only one assumption: movement is a natural aspect of humanity. In comparison, borders, nationality, and law are created, constructs that provide order. These constructs are not bad in and of themselves, but their application and imposition on others can lead to unnecessary suffering. We can use law and policy that addresses migration and does not lead to misery and harm for migrants. Under this assumption, I intend to explore and promote ideas that lead to humane migration policy.
-Zak
