Salzgitter in focus: Teacher warns of integration crisis in schools!

Salzgitter in focus: Teacher warns of integration crisis in schools!

Salzgitter is a hotly debated topic in Lower Saxony. The city has developed a bad reputation as a “problem city” and the challenges posed by immigration are enormous. In a current one ZDF documentation The problems that many residents also complain about become clearer: they often feel like strangers in their own city.

One of those who is experiencing the situation first hand is Kristina Scholz from the lake elementary school. She describes how the reality of school has changed: “We are left alone to a certain extent.” In many classes, only a few children speak German fluently, which makes teaching considerably more difficult. During her time at the school, she experienced the refugee wave of 2015 and criticized the approach at the time. Immigrants come mainly from the Middle East and North Africa, and in some districts the proportion of foreigners is up to 30 percent, a significant increase over the last decade.

Integration and support

The integration of the new citizens in Salzgitter is difficult. Haytham Allafi, a dental technician who fled Syria in 2015 and now runs a fashion store in Salzgitter-Lebenstedt, talks about the double challenge. On the one hand, he has settled in well and feels comfortable, but on the other hand, he has observed a tendency towards a parallel society among the migrants. Many Syrians in Lebenstedt have come together as a family to support each other, which is good for cohesion, but makes integration into society more difficult.

The Challenges in integration are also evident in schools. Teacher Scholz reports that the necessary support is often lacking. In her primary school there are only three children who speak German as their native language. This forces teachers to work with symbols and simple language to accommodate different language skills. There is progress in integrating into the labor market, but finding a job can take a long time. A halt in social mixing leads to parallel societies emerging.

Migration data and statistics

The 2023 Migration Report, published on January 15, 2025, contains comprehensive data on migration movements in Germany. According to this study, around 975,000 Syrians now live in Germany, but integration is seen as challenging. Although many gain German citizenship, the overburdened authorities and the exhausted welcoming culture cannot keep up. In Salzgitter, where almost 35% of the population are foreigners and 5% Syrians, the pressure on the city is particularly high. Stefani Steckhan, an active citizen, calls for more efforts towards integration in order to promote coexistence and prevent parallel societies.

The last few years have shown that the challenges in Salzgitter are not only important locally, but also nationally and at European level. The national integration plan calls for a clear focus on education and language support, especially in primary school, where the basis for successful integration is laid.