The “immigration question” was a central topic in Germany’s 2025 federal election campaign. On February 23, 2025, the parliament was re-elected. The country is now confronted with many promises, some of which are based on misjudgments. Forming a government and defining its policy objectives will take some time. How do we get out of this dead end? Can Germany do it alone? Every new government should “simply do a good job, focus on what works”! What are the promising approaches?
- Refrain from making unrealistic promises.
- Allow flexible international labor and training migration.
- Ensure a consistent and significant acceleration of asylum procedures and grant work permits to all asylum seekers as early as possible.
- Stop illegal asylum seekers at Europe’s external borders and through agreements with key sending or transit countries.
- Those who have integrated economically and socially must be allowed to stay.
- Europe is needed.
Grandiose promises and political disenchantment
Migration policy is always a fertile ground for grandiose promises. Statements like “the borders will be closed,” “all refugees will be sent home,” or “all new asylum cases will be stopped” are made. However, a sober fact-check reveals that such reactions are reckless, premature, or even harmful to one’s own interests. The short-term gut feeling of an apparent solution eventually gives way to the realization that, in the long run, nothing has actually changed.
The inevitable result is frustration and disenchantment with politics. Over the years, German citizens have watched this political theater unfold over and over again. The discussions about the reactions of Germans to the recent political changes in Syria, for example, or about the context of the terrible acts of violence committed by people with a refugee background sadly provide ample examples. Policymakers should not rely on voters’ short memory.
The immigration question is complex, as humanitarian concerns intertwine with economic interests. Without a compass, one quickly ends up in a dead end. Those who need skilled workers cannot afford to alienate entire ethnic groups. Those who indiscriminately deport people risk their own prosperity, as economic consequences such as labor shortages and rising prices inevitably follow large-scale deportations. A nation that betrays its values and interests will not be able to withstand global challenges in the long run.
Thus, the desire to pursue the right policies without being distracted is certainly a sensible approach. Provided it is the right policy and not just a populist reflex designed to oust unwelcome political competition and secure the next election. Good policy provides lasting solutions. Politics driven by rhetoric rather than reason ultimately leads only to voter dissatisfaction.
The challenges of migration policy
Germany needs workers—both skilled and unskilled—not only in the healthcare sector, the hotel and hospitality industry, and technical professions. However, our country is not considered particularly attractive, not even for students or apprentices at our tuition-free universities or in our highly praised vocational training system. But skilled workers who are trained domestically and stay permanently are not only adequately qualified but have also established themselves through language skills and cultural integration.
The formal obstacles to entering Germany as a migrant worker have been significantly reduced over the years. German migration policy has contributed to this. Nevertheless, there are still not enough people entering the German labor market. This has consequences for growth and prosperity. Germany’s poor image as a country of immigration is partly responsible for this, as is the regular behavior of migrant workers, which involves voluntary emigration as well as immigration. The majority of labor market-oriented immigrants leave Germany again. Integration policies must be implemented to ensure that they stay. Because what is at stake is the prosperity and welfare of the entire population living in Germany.
Wrong signals in refugee policy can undermine these efforts. The broader societal debate on immigration affects all immigrant groups. It is not surprising that refugees generally integrate into the labor market more slowly. However, they do integrate—especially when access to the labor market is granted quickly after applying for asylum and when qualification and integration programs are available. In recent years, aside from Ukraine, Syria has been the most significant country of origin for refugees coming to Germany.
The reality is: Without immigration, Germany (and Europe) will age and shrink, while the working-age population in Africa and Asia is set to increase dramatically over the coming decades. At the same time, conflicts and tensions in these regions will also escalate. Given the enormous labor force growth in Africa and Asia, Europe has to expect significantly greater migration pressures—both economic and refugee-driven—over the forthcoming decades.
New priorities in migration policy
Yes, a radical shift in migration policy is necessary. However, the current debate has maneuvered itself into a dead end. Germany cannot realistically protect its external borders against illegal immigration permanently. Asylum seekers are registered—meaning they are irregular, but they are not illegal. The real threat arises when migrants go underground illegally.
Nothing works without Europe: Those who advocate for permanent border controls within Schengen states risk destroying the core of the crucial European integration. Europe must be made migration-proof for the future. European solidarity should focus on establishing and expanding European immigration centers at the EU’s external borders, where asylum procedures should be concluded promptly.
However, Germany will continue to call for a fair distribution of recognized refugees among the member states. To this end, the capacities for the necessary efforts to teach language skills, European values and a rapid integration into the labor market must be made available on a permanent basis.
To meet labor demands essential for economic prosperity and to effectively control illegal migration pressure, an efficient, hybrid agreement system is needed with key sending and transit countries in the Mediterranean region, Asia, and Africa. This involves the contractual safeguarding of a circular labor migration system as well as the prevention of illegal migration and the readmission of rejected asylum seekers. Germany will also need European cooperation to implement such a system successfully.
Klaus F. Zimmermann
REFERENCES
Featured image above: Julie Ricard on Unsplash – rTXKkhHgoVM
- Zimmermann, Klaus F. (2025). Migrationspolitik aus der Sackgasse führen. Opinion Piece in Wirtschaftliche Freiheit. Das ordnungspolitische Journal published on 29 January 2025. LINK
- Zimmermann, Klaus F. (2017). Refugee and Migrant Labor Market Integration: Europe in Need of a New Policy Agenda in: Bauböck, R. and Tripkovic, M., The Integration of Migrants and Refugees. An EUI Forum on Migration, Citizenship and Demography, European University Institute, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, Florence 2017, pp. 88 – 100.
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