Era Institute

Erik Khzmalyan and Tobias Brandt discuss Germany's strategy of integrating Syrian refugees. The conversation begins with Merkel's unilateral decision to accept over 1 million refugees in 2015. Mr. Brandt explains how Merkel communicated her decision with the general populace and recognizes the parties that opposed the decision. He then breaks down the integration process and describes the involvement of ordinary Germans in this process. Finally, Mr. Brandt sheds light on the policies implemented to combat radical ideologies that some refugees may harbor and concludes by talking about Germany's shortage of skilled workers and how refugees are integrated into the workforce. Tobias Brandt was born and raised in Germany where he attended the University of Hamburg to receive his BA in Middle Eastern Studies. He wrote his thesis on Al-Qaeda's propaganda strategy and used original Arabic documents for his research. Tobias spent some time in Qasid Arabic Institute in Jordan where he studied Arabic. He served as a vo