“In past decades, Germany has made great strides with the integration of foreigners. Those achievements must be defended prudently and balanced with the country’s demographic challenges. Indiscriminately admitting all refugees from war, including often illiterate and unskilled youths, is bound to undermine these very impressive gains,” writes Klaus F. Zimmermann on February 5, 2016, in the Wall Street Journal.
These are the key points he makes:
- The increasingly heated debate over refugees inside German is causing a divide between the “welcomers” and the “door-closers”.
- Germany needs a regular annual inflow of immigrants, including refugees, but their composition matters.
- Therefore, an Immigration Act defining specific criteria and procedures for new arrivals is long overdue.
- The most important driver of quick integration into a new society is a job.
- However, the need for low to medium skilled manufacturing workers has greatly declined since the 1960s.
- Germany must attract productive workers from all over the world, not just one war-torn region.
- A mismanaged refugee crisis could convince many Germans to take the opposite stance, no longer wanting any more foreigners in their midst.
Read the complete article:
The Right Mix of Migrants to Meet Germany’s Needs
