Immigration
Latest news and information from Germany on immigration, migration, immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
Why do some US citizens seek asylum in Germany?
The majority of refugees who come to Germany each year come from war zones, such as from Syria around 2015 or Ukraine since 2022. So why do a number of US citizens also submit applications for asylum each year?
Germany turns away nearly 30,000 applicants to integration courses
New figures show tens of thousands of immigrants have been blocked from enrolling in Germany’s integration courses since the start of the year when authorities quietly froze applications.
How bad is Germany's skilled worker shortage in 2026?
Experts have been warning for years about Germany's shortage of skilled workers. How bad is it – and what can be expected in the long term?
'You need patience': What it's like to get a residence permit in Germany
Long waits for appointments, burdensome bureaucracy and language barriers: applying for a residence permit can be a tricky business for foreigners in Germany. We asked readers to share their experience and their top tips.
'I did everything right': Syrian student fights deportation from Germany
Syrian-born Yasin Alhamdo has lived in Germany since he was nine. In March, just weeks before he was due to sit his final exams to qualify as an industrial clerk, he was told he had 30 days to leave the country.
More than a quarter of people in Germany have an immigration background
Almost 22 million people in Germany have an immigration background. Here's what else new figures tell us about Germany's immigrant population.
Dentist faces deportation as Germany ramps up removal of Syrians
A growing number of deportation orders targeting skilled workers and well-integrated young Syrian men suggest that it's not only criminals who are at risk of deportation from Germany.
'A nightmare': Lives of foreigners across Europe hit by residency card delays
Bureaucratic backlogs and rule changes on residency rights are having an increasing impact on the lives of foreigners living around Europe. Many say they have been left in legal limbo with their lives effectively on hold.
Are Germany's current citizenship laws at risk after far right's latest bid?
The far-right Alternative for Germany recently tried, and failed, to significantly tighten the Naturalisation Act. With the issue once again in the spotlight, we look at how parties voted and why citizenship rules are so fiercely debated.
'The community is growing': An immigrant's guide to starting a new life in Germany
Four years after moving to Germany for his master's degree, Saad Arshad shares his top advice on language, jobs and managing expectations for people following in his footsteps.
Your views: 'Honestly Germany is not as bad as some people claim'
A recent report revealing that more EU citizens are leaving Germany than arriving got a huge response online. Here's what readers had to say about why some Europeans are opting out of life in the country and why others are determined to stay.
Why are so many EU citizens planning to leave Germany?
For the first time in 15 years, more EU citizens are leaving Germany than arriving. A new government study explains why.
Guinea launches probe after nationals expelled from Germany
The authorities in Guinea said Thursday they were looking into why a number of its citizens had been kicked out of Germany, after an angry online response to the expulsions.
'Helping people succeed': The German non‑profit offering free language lessons
As Germany restricts access to state‑funded integration courses, we spoke to one non‑profit organisation which says it is ready to step in with free language lessons for migrants looking for work in the country.
'Inhumane': How Germany failed a group of Vietnamese nursing trainees
Germany is desperate to attract skilled nurses from other countries. Yet when a group of young Vietnamese trainees were recruited to help fill the gap, they went unpaid for months, were evicted from their homes and left fearful of deportation.
Is Germany really planning to let more asylum seekers enter the workforce?
A proposal to let asylum seekers enter the German job market sooner has been welcomed by many lawmakers and economists, but critics warn that key exemptions and recent cuts to integration courses could undermine the effort.
‘Short-sighted’: Cutting access to integration courses in Germany doesn't make sense
After Germany quietly decided to restrict access to integration courses, an expert explains who will be affected and why that's a problem for the whole country, not just immigrants and refugees.
Majority of bilingual people in Germany mostly speak another language at home
Germany may have a reputation as a monoglot country, but step inside people's homes and a different picture emerges. New figures show that bilingual and multilingual life is an everyday reality for millions of families in the country.
Germany extends border controls another six months
Germany will extend temporary border controls by a further six months, the interior ministry said Monday, calling the measures necessary in the absence of 'functional European migration policy'.
'Catastrophic effects': Why Germany is cutting integration courses for foreigners
Germany has confirmed plans to restrict access to integration courses, citing rising costs and a desire to focus spending on migrants likely to stay long term. Around 130,000 people could be affected – and the consequences could go much further.
German police investigate 'large scale' fraud in language and citizenship tests
Police in Nuremberg have uncovered a scheme in which paid stand‑ins used forged identity documents to sit German language and naturalisation exams for migrants. We look at what it could mean for foreign residents applying for German citizenship.
What do Europeans really think about immigration?
Growing political polarisation means that debate about immigration is boiled down to 'pro' or 'anti'-immigration positions, but new surveys reveal that European public opinion is a little more nuanced than that.
What the mobility deal between the EU and India will mean for skilled workers
As part of the landmark trade agreement announced on January 27th, the EU and India adopted a ‘mobility framework’ that aims to make it easier for Indian students, researchers and young professionals to move to the EU.