World Immigration News

Commentary
A tale of two five-point plans: Germany’s anti-immigration path is not quite what it seems

Release Date: 2025-03-03
Media: SMF
Summary: On the surface, Germany appears to be following the trend of more restrictive immigration policies seen across Europe. The right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) secured second place in Germany's election, and in response to rising attacks by foreign nationals, Friedrich Merz of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) proposed a five-point plan to address immigration concerns. This plan included measures like making border checks permanent and turning away asylum seekers at Germany’s borders.

While Germany has received over 3 million asylum claims in the last decade, the CDU's new stance contrasts sharply with Angela Merkel's earlier, more welcoming approach during the Syrian crisis. Merz's plan is more focused on limiting asylum access, while in the UK, the Conservative government's plan from December 2023 focused on reducing legal immigration, particularly for workers, families, and students. The UK is concerned with high net migration numbers, whereas Germany is not focused on total migration figures. Instead, Germany aims to attract skilled foreign workers, even as it cracks down on asylum claims.

Thus, despite seeming similarities, the UK and Germany have significantly different approaches to immigration, with Germany emphasizing labor migration and skilled workers, while the UK focuses on reducing overall immigration numbers.
Tags: Germany