“We can do it!” has become the credo of the German government‘s response to the refugees crisis. Germany releases its past and welcomes refugees. In the last months it has been possible to notice a change in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s political style. It has been reaffirmed even during a meeting with the premier Renzi, where both of them expressed their aversion to borders closure and to the Brennero’s wall, defining it an anti-historic decision.
“Germany’s response to Refugee Situation: Remarkable Leadership or Fait Accompli?”, in an analysis Matthias M. Mayer of the Bertelsmann Stiftung think tank examines the German Government response to refugees crisis. The reasons behind an open political vision: despite some right-wing movements, a large majority of Germans are in favor of welcoming refugees, German population is getting old and a great percentage of refugees, between 30% and 40%, has work experience that is potentially relevant to the German labor market.
In 2000, asylum claims were fewer than 100 thousand, while between 2005 and 2010 that figure fell to less than 50 thousand. But in 2014, they reached more than 200 thousand.
The asylum applications boom has been registered in 2015 when nearly 1 million of asylum seekers entered Germany, but only 476,649 were able to file asylum.
Those who apply for asylum in Germany face long waiting times, that’s because German authorities have been overwhelmed by the high number of applications.
Until now, according to the analysis, Germany has taken in far more asylum seekers than its European neighbors. Refugees arriving in Germany come from various countries, they are not only Syrians.
In last few months Germany made some aspects of German asylum law more restrictive. These changes, according to the author of the research, aimed to discourage migrants who come from countries not included in the international protection program. Most probably, these ones won’t see their asylum application accepted by Germany: the family reunification has been suspended for migrants who cannot be recognized as asylum seekers, even if for them would be dangerous returning to their countries, the list of safe countries has been enlarged, expulsion procedures have been sped up.
Merkel’s turning point
Merkel has made Germany’s open asylum policy her personal political project. According to a Bertelsmann Stiftung survey Germans are increasingly more comfortable with the idea that Germany is becoming a country of immigrants. Despite some right-wing movements such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD), that gained momentum, the numbers show that a large majority of Germans believe their country should be open to asylum seekers.
Last July the flow of migrants grew considerably, 93% of Germans interviewed expressed in favor of reception of refugees and 80% think Germany should welcome people who are escaping from religious or political persecutions. Indeed many Germans are engaged in social civic activities to support refugees, provide them basic services such as accommodation, practical information, transports and clothes.
With the Dublin regulation and the struggle for Southern European countries to register and host the flow of refugees mass, it became clear that Northern countries underestimated the refugees problem and they left it all on the shoulders of first receiving countries of migrants upon arrival.
When in March 2015 Fabrice Leggeri Executive Director of Frontex estimated that there were between 500 thousand and 1 million migrants in Libya ready to leave for Europe, the German Government was left with only to choices: keep the borders open or risk an humanitarian catastrophe, because no significant measures were taken by policymakers until that moment.
However, there is of course another reason extensively reported by international media: giving that the German population is ageing, refugees may represent a source for the German work force. That’s why Angela Merkel, obviously for humanitarian reasons, but even in part for political strategy, could not say no to the reception of refugees. Nowadays German Government needs to face the asylum seekers integration in labor market and in the country’s social life.
“We can do it!” has become the credo of the German government‘s response to the refugees crisis. Germany releases its past and welcomes refugees. In the last months it has been possible to notice a change in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s political style. It has been reaffirmed even during a meeting with the premier Renzi, where both of them expressed their aversion to borders closure and to the Brennero’s wall, defining it an anti-historic decision.
“Germany’s response to Refugee Situation: Remarkable Leadership or Fait Accompli?”, in an analysis Matthias M. Mayer of the Bertelsmann Stiftung think tank examines the German Government response to refugees crisis. The reasons behind an open political vision: despite some right-wing movements, a large majority of Germans are in favor of welcoming refugees, German population is getting old and a great percentage of refugees, between 30% and 40%, has work experience that is potentially relevant to the German labor market.
