The Committee for Equal Opportunities and Integration (formerly: Integration Council)

Like the elections to the city council , elections to the Integration Council take place every five years. The current election took place on 14 September 2025, at the same time as the municipal elections.

• Results from 14 September 2025
  and for comparison:
• Results from 13 September 2020.

Information on "How", "When" and "Where" for the integration council election

• Dates
  • 3 August 2025: Creation of the electoral roll
  • By 24 August 2025: Dispatch of the election notifications
  • 25 - 29 August 2025: Opportunity to inspect the electoral roll
  • 24 August - 2 September 2025: Application for entry in the electoral roll
• Voters' register
  
  The voters' register will be created on 3 August 2025 and kept electronically. All persons with a foreign nationality will be automatically entered on the electoral roll. Naturalised Germans are not automatically registered, so it is necessary to register on the electoral roll if they wish to vote. The relevant form is available here . However, before submitting the application, please wait until 24 August 2025 and, if you have not received an election notification, submit the application for entry in the electoral register by 2 September.
  
  
• Election notifications
  
  Election notifications will be issued on the basis of the electoral roll and will be delivered by 24 August.
  The electoral roll is available for inspection at the electoral office from 25 - 29 August to give eligible voters the opportunity to check their entry in the electoral roll.
  
  
• Postal voting
  
  The electoral office will start "postal voting" around mid-August at the electoral office on the premises of the Mariengymnasium on Schleusenwall.
  After registering in the electoral roll, you can vote directly on site at the electoral office, or alternatively you can apply for a postal vote before election day and vote at home in peace and quiet. All you have to do is request the postal voting documents, which can also be done online, or collect them from the electoral office. Of course, once you have been entered on the electoral roll, you also have the option of casting your vote(s) at your polling station on election day itself, 14 September 2025.

On 10 July 2025, the Election Committee of the City Council of Bocholt decided to approve a total of five election proposals for the Integration Council elections on 14 September 2025, four lists and one individual candidate. There are many new faces, and we have highlighted in bold the people with an international family history who are already represented on the Integration Council.

1. European list with Juan Lopez Casanava, Ivica Mazar, Gül Balci, Carmelo Nairi, Selda Koldamca, Donik Krasniqi, Redouane Besbassi, Ebtessam Sawiros, Anosh Moradi, Adnan Ali, Dimitrios Karamoussanlis, Irina Fendel, Juliana Berger, Anastasiya Mironava, Teuta Dervishi, Sefa Kormaz, Apanoup Girgis, Miguel Benitez and Khalil Mounir
2. Bocholt list with Abdulkadir Kis, Gültekin Izgi, Akan Üstüngör, Zeyneb Mohammady, Bolat Cura, Selahaddin Öztemiz, Serkan Gürbüz, Nazim Cinar and Erman Elmacicegi
3. Active Together list with Ataf Chaudhry, Rosina Giorgio, Karina Can, Lukas Özdemir, Muhammad Aslam and Ermias Giorgio
4. Cohesion list with Khaled Aidy (deputy: Mohammad Hammoud) and Al Mahdi Al Mhimd (deputy: Ammar Saler)
5. Individual candidate: Carsten Brinks

As a naturalised person with an international family history, you can use this form to apply for entry in the electoral register if you have not received a voter's notification for the integration council election by 24 August. Please wait until 24 August 2025 and, if you have not received an election notification, apply for entry in the electoral register by 2 September.

Application form

The Integration Council is made up of twelve directly elected representatives of people with an international family history from Bocholt as well as six city councillors. All 18 members have voting rights on the Integration Council and elect a chairperson and deputy chairperson from among their number.

Juan Lopez Casanava is currently in his second term as Chairman. His deputies are currently Ataf Chaudhry, Memet Cinar and Abdulkadir Kis. The constituent meeting of the new Integration Council will take place at the end of November / beginning of December. At this meeting, the chairman and his deputies will be newly elected.