Dresden (dpa/sn) - The associations Augen auf Löbau (Görlitz district) and Saida from Leipzig as well as the Adorf helpers' group (Vogtland district) have been honored with the Saxon Integration Prize 2022. "Great efforts are still needed to ensure that the integration of immigrants succeeds," said state parliament president Matthias Rößler, according to a statement at the award ceremony on Monday in the state parliament. One of the biggest hurdles was almost always the lack of language skills, but cultural differences or psychological trauma also played a major role.
According to Roessler, all initiatives that have applied for the award, which is worth 3,000 euros each, help "migrants to find secure life prospects in Saxony and to understand and accept the values of our country and our culture". Saxony's Commissioner for Foreigners Geert Mackenroth pointed out that integration away from the centers is much more difficult than in the traditionally more open cities.
According to the state parliament, 73 clubs, associations, initiatives and companies with projects had applied for the prize. The Arabic coffee tent of the Löbau association, which has been touring through Upper Lusatia since 2016 and managed by migrants, was selected. Saida international was honored for its years of advocacy for women and children's rights and the helper group that was founded for its support of refugees and asylum seekers in rural areas with a focus on families.
