German Migration Policy: Old Problems and New Challenges

Important problems of the formation and implementation of the FRG policy towards migrants under the governments of O. Scholz and F. Merz are considered. The migration issue becomes the subject of heated political and public discussions. It comes to the forefront of the election campaign and largely determines the outcome of early parliamentary elections. The measures taken by the Scholz cabinet to attract qualified specialists to Germany, facilitate their employment and improve conditions of their stay in the country are examined in detail. It is shown that the attempts of the so-called “traffic light coalition” to counter the influx of illegal immigrants were inconsistent and mainly represented a belated reaction to the increasing frequency of terrorist attacks. The migration policy provisions outlined in the coalition agreement of the Merz government are analyzed. The conclusion is that the FRG will continue to try to pursue a tough course towards the migration issues that will remain one of the most important areas in the domestic policy agenda of the Merz government. It is predicted that in the foreseeable future this policy will become the subject of new disputes and disagreements between the coalition partners. It is noted that that the problems associated with migration are unlikely to be solved solely by force. On the other hand, if the new government’s efforts to counter illegal immigrants will not lead to tangible results, the political influence of right-wing and left-wing populists will grow.