The outsiders

Flight and integration are among the dominant themes of our time. They are a significant reason for the rise of right-wing populist parties and threaten to divide the EU. However, a look into the depths of history puts the refugee crisis of 2015 into perspective. Since the expulsion of the Sephardic Jews from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492, Europe has always been a continent of refugees. Philipp Ther explores the reasons for flight: religious intolerance, radical nationalism, and political persecution. Through personal stories, he illustrates the plight of those fleeing, identifies factors for successful integration, and discusses the repeated failures of international politics, as well as the lessons learned, such as those reflected in the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention. As Ther shows, humanitarianism has always been fragile in refugee policy. Yet, even though the fear of failed integration once again dominates today, host countries have almost always benefited from the acceptance of refugees. This is particularly evidenced by the post-war history of Germany, when the young Federal Republic became a country of refuge.