The challenges of multiculturalism in modern Britain and Germany

Have Britain and Germany failed as multicultural countries? How have multiculturalism and integration been dealt with in the contemporary national debates of both countries and are there affinities that will lead Germany and Britain towards similar political solutions? National identity and the alleged failure of multiculturalism have been in the middle of recent political and cultural debates in European liberal democracies such as Great Britain and Germany. The contemporary debate focuses on immigration, integration, citizenship, racial inequality and human rights, in order to cope with the questions raised by multiculturalism, following the terrorist attacks in New York, Madrid and London. These events have resulted in debates that often included concerns and accusations against the Muslim communities in Europe, coming under new political and security scrutiny. This has led to a new wave of criticism against the concept of multiculturalism. Interestingly, in 2011, Germany and the UK seem to look at this phenomenon in a similar way, with the British Prime Minister David Cameron and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel both claiming that ¿Multiculturalism has failed'.