Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees released an integration report Wednesday finding that immigrant integration is improving overall, though significant gaps persist across employment, crime rates and education access.
Natalie Pawlik, the government's Commissioner for Integration, presented the findings in Berlin. The report, compiled by Frank Kalter of the German Center for Integration and Migration Research, found that about 30% of Germany's population has a migration background. Pawlik stated: "Integration is improving steadily, despite ongoing hurdles and challenges."
The employment rate among immigrants in Germany stands at nearly 70%, which Kalter noted is higher than in most other EU countries. Workers without German citizenship tripled from 1.8 million in 2009 to 5.8 million by 2025, with the largest growth in health and social services.
Significant disparities remain. Only about 60% of women in immigrant families are employed compared to nearly 88% of women in families with German passports, particularly when they have children and their husbands work. Young refugee men face particular barriers to education and employment. Non-citizens comprise around 40% of convicted criminals despite making up a smaller share of the population, though they also experience higher crime victimization.
Pawlik emphasized language acquisition as foundational to integration but criticized the government's recent cuts to funding for integration courses. The SPD, her party, is pushing for working refugees from Syria and Ukraine to receive more secure residency permits. Whether the CDU/CSU-led coalition under Chancellor Friedrich Merz will support this remains unclear, given Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt's known hardline stance on immigration.