Migration to Germany Slowed Down by the Pandemic

Ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, there has been a noticeable decline in migration to Germany. International migration was heavily restricted since March of 2020, but that isn’t the only reason. Brexit and the Skilled Workers Immigration Act also played a part in the low migration numbers coming into Germany.

In 2020, almost 1.2 million people immigrated to Germany, while over 966,000 left, meaning that over 220,000 new people were living in Germany compared to the previous year. The number of new immigrants in Germany has declined every year for the past half-decade. In 2016, the German population grew by almost 500,000 migrants.

Europe

Data has shown however that Germany is still a very attractive European country for migrants who want to study and work. In 2020, most immigrants to Germany came from another EU state or other European country. 

“The Federal Republic of Germany has established itself as an attractive destination in particular for those who wish to study and work here, including EU nationals,” said Nancy Faeser, the Federal Minister of the Interior.

The same is true for the opposite, when people immigrate out of Germany, most move to another EU state or European country.

Asylum Seekers

In 2020, 102,581 asylum applicants were seeking refuge in Germany. This was the first time that the number of applicants fell below the numbers in 2013. The pandemic wasn’t the sole cause of this either, as the number of first-time applicants seeking asylum dropped by 80% from 2016 to 2019.

A Country of Migrants

As of 2020, 21.9 million people in Germany were either migrants or children of at least one migrant. This makes up over a quarter of the entire German population. 

“Today, Germany is indisputably a country of immigration… “establish a new beginning in migration and integration policy that does justice to a modern immigration country,” said Nancy Faeser, the Federal Minister of the Interior.