High school, Abitur 1970 in Osnabrück. Studies in Bielefeld and Heidelberg (German, history, social studies). Teacher at the Konrad-Adenauer-Realschule in Pforzheim.
Member of the board of the German-Israeli Society and member of the Society for Threatened Peoples and BUND.
Since March 1980 member of the Green Party. Member of the Bremen Parliament from 1991 to 1994.
Member of the Bundestag from 1983 to April 14, 1985, 1987 to 1990, and since 1994; Federal Government Commissioner for Foreigners since 1998; Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth since October 2002; Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration.
Phoenix Runde(1997)as Self
Die richtigen Fragen(2021)as Self - ehemals Grünen-Abgeordnete, heute Osteuropa-Expertin beim Zentrum der liberalen Moderne
Forum Demokratie(2013)as Self
Bild Live(2021)as Self, Self - Grüne
Unter den Linden(2002)as Self
Die Grünen - Aufstieg und Krise einer Deutschen Partei(2025)as Self