Refugee crisis2015 immigrant influx into Germany largest since WWII
Germany’s Federal Office of Statistics (Destatis) has recorded the highest number of immigrants in post-Second World War history. Net immigration increased by 49 percent in 2015 and for the first time most of the arrivals were not from Europe. The office registered in 2015 under two million immigrants arriving in Germany, while 860,000 departed.
Germany’s Federal Office of Statistics(Destatis) has recorded the highest number of immigrants in post-Second World War history. Net immigration increased by 49 percent in 2015 and for the first time most of the arrivals were not from Europe.
Destatis on Monday announced that it recorded the country’s highest net immigration of foreign nationals to Germany in 2015, totaling over 1.1 million for the year.
“Net migration of foreign people amounted to 1.14 million. This is the highest net immigration of foreigners ever recorded in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany,” said a statement from the statistics office.
The figure marks a 49-percent increase compared to 2014, which witnessed a net migration of 577,000 people.
The office registered in 2015 under two million immigrants arriving in Germany, while 860,000 departed again.
Destatis notes that the figures are based on the numbers from January to August 2015 and estimates for the four remaining months of the year.
For the first time immigrants from non-European countries outnumbered those from Europe.
DW notes that the announcement comes as EU countries are trying to formulate a common policy on how to deal with the influx of refugees arriving in Europe from war-ravaged countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
Most EU countries want to place a cap on the number of asylum seekers admitted to the EU zones, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel has dismissed the idea, causing friction with some members of her own party.
The EU on Friday finalized a deal with Turkey which would allow EU countries to return all migrants entering the 28-nation bloc illegally via Turkey. The deal also stipulates that for every refugee returned to Turkey, EU countries would agree to accept one refugee currently in a Turkey. The EU sees this as a good deal because the total number of refugees allowed from Turkey into the EU would not exceed 80,000, and EU members would have more control over the refugees they agree to admit – allowing them to select the more skilled among them.
“The most important part of this deal is that it will end the business model of people smugglers and contribute to securing the EU’s external border,” Merkel said
