About us
The 25th International Metropolis Conference in 2022 in Berlin is being organised by the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in close collaboration with Metropolis International.
Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) is the German government department responsible for labour market policy, employment law and occupational health and safety. BMAS is led by the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Hubertus Heil.
Central challenges include fighting unemployment and ensuring the pensions system is stable. Issues surrounding migration and integration are also part of the work of BMAS.
Over a quarter of Germany’s entire population have a migratory background. At the same time, the country has consistently recorded a migration surplus in recent years. The share of residents in Germany with a migratory background will continue to increase. Using this demographic potential successfully in responding to economic and societal challenges will also depend above all on the opportunities for participating in the labour market. Integrating migrants into the labour market continues to require the attention and support of the state and society. This task will also bring new challenges with it in coming years that will need to be solved, not least with regard to demographic change and the associated requirement for immigration, in a target-oriented manner and in the interests of all individuals involved.
With the aim of improving the integration of migrants and their descendants into the labour market, BMAS has already developed a variety of concrete measures. These are evaluated and expanded regularly.
Metropolis International
The work of Metropolis International revolves around the subjects of integration, migration, inclusion and diversity. Founded in 1996 by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Citizenship and Immigration (CIC), the network brings together stakeholders and decision makers from the spheres of science, policy and practical application. After the expiration of that funding, Metropolis International continued to exist and to organize events all over the world. Its mission is to create an international platform for critical and constructive dialogue on a wide range of migration, integration, inclusion and diversity issues with local, national, regional and global impacts. The goal here is to identify and overcome current and future challenges in a cross-sector manner. The International Metropolis Conference that takes place on an annual basis is at the core of the network’s activities.
Metropolis International has experienced continuous growth since it was founded. The research establishments, institutions and experts involved are today spread right across North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, Africa and Latin America. The principal decision-making body is the International Steering Committee (ISC), whose members come from over 40 different countries. A secretariat headquartered at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, shapes and holds responsibility for the network’s strategic orientation.
