Not everyone who immigrates to Germany stays permanently. The retention of immigrants in Germany is relevant from a labour market policy perspective, given the growing demand for skilled labour. In the first wave of the International Mobility Panel of Migrants in Germany (IMPa), around 3 % of immigrants had concrete plans to leave Germany, corresponding to a projected 312,000 people. The 2025 follow-up survey now makes it possible for the first time to examine who actually left Germany, where they moved, which reasons were decisive, and whether they can imagine moving back to Germany.
- Press Release: One third of leavers cite bureaucracy as a reason for leaving Germany
- IAB Short Policy Report 10/2026: International Mobility Panel of Migrants in Germany (IMPa): Who stays, who moves on – and why immigrants leave Germany
- IAB-Forum: When bureaucracy becomes a barrier: What migrants think about Germany’s administrative processes
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