In addition to her parliamentary mandate, Özoğuz served as Commissioner for Immigration, Refugees and Integration at the rank of Minister of State in the third government of ChancellorAngela Merkel from 2013 until 2018.
Early life and education
Özoğuz was born on 31 May 1967 in Finkenau, Hamburg to Turkish parents,[1][2] who came to Germany in 1958. She grew up in Hamburg-Lokstedt. Her parents later went into their own food business. Özoğuz acquired German citizenship in 1989. She has two brothers, Yavuz and Gürhan.[3]
She finished her high school education at Corvey-Gymnasium in 1986 with Abitur. Following her studies in English as a major and Spanish and Human Resources Management as a minor, she completed a master's degree at the University of Hamburg in 1994. During her university years, she was member of the Turkish Student Society in Hamburg, and served as its chairperson for two years.[3][4]
Early career
Since 1994, Özoğuz was research fellow in the Körber Foundation as project manager of "Coordination of New Projects" with focus on German-Turkish projects. From 1996 on, Özoğuz conducted projects in the field of Youth and Science Exchange as well as academic conferences on issues of international relations. With her election into Bundestag, she was exempted from her post at the Körber Foundation.
Political career
Career in state politics
Between 2001 and 2008, Özoğuz was member of the State Parliament of Hamburg. She was appointed speaker of the SPD parliamentary group for migration policies and member of the committees of interior affairs, petitions and family.[3]
In 2004, Özoğuz joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). She is the first ever Turkish descent woman in the SPD leadership as deputy chairperson.[3]
Member of the Bundestag, 2009–present
Özoğuz first entered the Bundestag at the 2009 German federal election. She became a member of the Committee on Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. She served also in the Committee of Inquiry for internet and the digital society. On 2 March 2010, the SPD parliamentary group appointed her commissioner of the group for integration.[3]
Özoğuz was re-elected in the 2013 election, gaining the constituency of Hamburg-Wandsbek. She is one of the eleven politicians of Turkish descent who won a seat in the Bundestag, including seven women.[5]
Since 2018, Özoğuz has been a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and on the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid. She also serves as deputy chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
Federal Commissioner for Immigration, Refugees and Integration, 2013–2018
On 16 December 2013, Özoğuz was appointed Commissioner for Immigration, Refugees and Integration (German: Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration) in the third Merkel cabinet, succeeding Maria Böhmer (CDU). She was the first ever woman with Turkish roots and Muslim member of the German Federal Government as Minister of State.[8][9][10]
In May 2017, Özoğuz wrote a guest commentary in the newspaper Tagesspiegel in which she stated that a specific German culture "aside from the language is simply not identifiable", as "already historically, rather regional cultures, immigration and diversity have shaped our history". She added that "Globalisation and pluralisation of lifeworlds leads to a further diversification of diversity."[13]
Human rights
In August 2012, Özoğuz was one of 124 members of the Bundestag to sign a letter that was sent to the Russian ambassador to Germany, Vladimir Grinin, expressing concern over the trial against the three members of Pussy Riot. "Being held in detention for months and the threat of lengthy punishment are draconian and disproportionate," the lawmakers said in the letter. "In a secular and pluralist state, peaceful artistic acts – even if they can be seen as provocative – must not lead to the accusation of serious criminal acts that lead to lengthy prison terms."[14][15]
Israel-Gaza Conflict
On 18 October 2024, Özoğuz shared a post on a social media platform published by Jewish Voice for Peace that, per the media organisation Barron's, 'showed an image of a building on fire with the message "This is Zionism".'[16]
Other activities
Tarabya Cultural Academy, Member of the Advisory Board (since 2022)[17]
Islamkolleg Deutschland (IKD), Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2021)[18]
Foundation for History of Federal Republic of Germany, Deputy Member of the Board of the Trustees (German: Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland).[3]
Bündnis für Demokratie und Toleranz, Ex-officio Member of the advisory board (2013–2018)[23]
Personal life
Özoğuz is married to Michael Neumann, Senator of Interior Affairs from SPD in the state government of Hamburg, and has a daughter, Hanna.[3][24][25]
Her brothers Yavuz Özoğuz and Gürhan Özoğuz, both staunch and avowed admirers of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hizballah, run the Islamist internet site Muslim-Markt.[26] Aydan Özoğuz distanced herself from her brothers on their radical Islamist viewpoints in a newspaper interview in October 2011.[27]
