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Germany is eager to attract more immigrants to bolster its workforce, but racism in German society and the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party are making things difficult.
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| Migrant workers in Germany |
According to DW television, the German government is currently grappling with two of the country's most pressing challenges: the rise of the far right and long-term demographic decline. Economists argue that this demographic decline could threaten the country's prosperity. Germany urgently needs more immigrant workers. The German government recently introduced legislation aimed at lowering bureaucratic barriers to employment in Germany, but the political climate is becoming increasingly difficult to control. The AfD, the far-right anti-immigration party, is now the largest political force in several eastern states, and its populism is reaching new voters. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner succinctly summarized: “The biggest risk to eastern Germany is the AfD.”
Racism is an undeniable problem in Germany. A government- commissioned report in June concluded that anti-Muslim racism is widespread and occurs daily. This is evidenced by Shivam Mehrotra, an Indian IT manager working for a company in Brandenburg (one of the states where the AfD currently leads in opinion polls).
Mehrotra, who used to work as an immigration consultant, advises Indians considering moving abroad to be aware of the racist context in Germany. According to him, that's not the deciding factor in whether or not to move to Germany, but rather something to consider.
Mehrotra said he was fortunate not to have experienced much racial discrimination during his time in Germany, but the rise of far-right populism worried him. “It affected me,” the 33-year-old said. However, he believes that Germany values equality and diversity.
Consulting groups like the Bertelsmann Foundation and international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) regularly conduct research on what makes countries attractive to immigrants. They have found that the most important factors are potential income, career prospects, and quality of life. In all of these, Germany is in a fairly good position. But in competition with other wealthy countries in need of a new workforce, the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK all have a significant advantage because most of them speak English.
According to an OECD survey conducted in 2022 of skilled workers from around the world on the biggest obstacles to coming to Germany, around 38% said they lacked German language skills, while about 18% were concerned about discrimination and racism.
According to OECD experts, other countries have developed a culture of openness, and that is still lacking in many segments of the German population. And of course, the AfD – or rather, the mindset that led people to vote for the AfD – is one of the obstacles to a truly open culture.
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