These are challenges that cannot be met with municipal funds alone and were the reason why Lord Mayor Frank Klingebiel was committed to setting up an integration fund.

"The integration fund of ten million euros per year, which I negotiated with our Minister President Stephan Weil in 2017 and which all municipalities affected in a similar way to Salzgitter can access, is proving to be sustainable and necessary support from the state of Lower Saxony," says Klingebiel.

An overview of the projects for which the funding was used will be presented at tomorrow's council meeting on Tuesday, December 17.

The majority of the money, namely more than 25 million euros, has so far flowed into renovation and construction measures in the daycare and school sectors. The remaining funds were used for a variety of projects such as language support, neighborhood and office work, intensifying school social work, promoting employment and strengthening the municipal law enforcement service.

However, Klingebiel makes it clear that financial support from the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony will continue to be necessary in the future. "We as local authorities must continue to be able to act, because only we can ensure social peace in our urban society on the ground. Integration is and will remain an ever-increasing and permanent Herculean task that we can only accomplish with financial support from the state Further financial support is therefore essential for the people already living in Salzgitter. Irrespective of the financial support received from the state, I have successfully campaigned with our member of state parliament Stefan Klein for the extension of the allocation limit, because our systems and our urban society have reached their limits."