The German government is planning an ‘integration contract’ to bind immigrants in the central European country to the German values.
"We will draw up contracts with new immigrants," Commissioner for Immigration Maria Boehmer told the Stuttgarter Nachrichten daily Monday, November 23.
"In those contracts will be set out what they can expect in terms of support and help.
“But they will also set out what we can expect from immigrants.”
Boehmer said the contract would include German values that newcomers should abide by, including freedom of speech and sexual equality.
"Everyone who wants to live and work here long term must say 'Yes' to our country,” said Boehmer, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats.
“To this belongs proficiency in the German language, but also a readiness to take part in society.”
In exchange, immigrants "can expect help and support," she added.
Last year, the German government introduced a test on key facts about the country for would-be citizens.
Success Stories
Boehmer called for ‘better publicizing’ the success stories of immigrants in the country.
“There must also be a discussion over those who get their high school diplomas, study, start companies, or become engineers, doctors and lawyers.”
She said that those immigrants are part of the “economic success of our country.”
The commissioner admitted that skilled immigrants are instrumental for maintaining the success of the central European country.
The country must become more attractive to give it "the expertise that will enable us to ensure our leading economic role in world markets", she said.
"We must also make sure we harness the potential of immigrants already living here,” said Boehmer.
"For that, we need good language teaching, schooling and a better recognition of qualifications gained abroad."
Germany has 15.1-million strong population of immigrants and their descendants, out of the country’s 82 total population.
Turks, who have been in Germany for nearly 50 years, are the largest ethnic immigrant group -- numbering some 2.8 million.
They make up the majority of the nearly 3.5 million Muslim minority in the central European country.