Foreign residents in Germany don’t get many opportunities to directly participate in domestic politics, but elections for local ‘Migration Advisory Boards’ are a notable exception.
The city of Munich is hosting an important election for immigrants and foreign residents this month.
On November 22nd, foreigners in the Bavarian capital can vote to elect members of its next Migrants Advisory Board (Migrationsbeirat).
The concept of a Migrants Advisory Board is not unique to Munich — many German municipalities have one.
Electing representatives to the advisory board, or even running to join the board yourself, provides a rare opportunity for non-German citizens to participate in local politics.
What is a Migrants Advisory Board?
Munich Mayor Dominik Krause announced the upcoming election, and explained what the Migrationsbeirat is in a recent video that he shared on social media.
The Migrants Advisory Board in Munich consists of 40 people, “many of whom know what it means to start over in a new country first hand,” Krause said.
The job of those on the board is to represent the voices of foreign residents who can’t otherwise vote or directly participate in most German elections.
As Mayor Krause puts it, foreigners elected to the board are tasked to “take your ideas and concerns to city hall”.
Beyond Munich many other German municipalities also have a Migration Advisory Board, but not always with exactly the same name.
The Local previously reported on a candidate for the Advisory Board for Migration and Integration (Beirat für Migration und Integration) in the town of Unkel in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example.
Some cities, like Munich, make an effort to alert their local foreign resident population about upcoming elections via notices sent by mail. But you can also search for ‘Migrationsbeirat‘ or similar terms with your city name to see if your city has one and when the next election would be.
Who can participate?
In Munich, all city residents without German citizenship as well as German dual citizens who have had their German passport for no more than twelve years are eligible to vote.
Additionally, voters must be at least 18 years old on election day and have lived in Munich for at least six months.
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The same qualifications apply to standing for election to the council, although to register to run in this round, candidates already had to apply back in September.
Similar requirements apply for most Migration Advisory Councils, although details like the minimum age to vote may change locally.
Foreign residents in Munich should have already received a notification in the mail about when and where to vote in the upcoming election.
Eligible voters can do so at a polling station in Munich on November 22nd, or from home by postal vote, but this requires registering at least one week before the election date.
“People from all over the world call Munich home,” said Munich Mayor Krause in his election announcement video. “That’s what makes our city special. And the more of you vote, the louder your voices in city hall.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
