Immigration requirements and political options for the reform of immigration law

Abstract

"This article is structured as follows: First, in Part I, the requirement for skilled labour during the economic upturn is examined (Section 1) and then the demographically determined drop in the labour force potential under various assumptions about the mobilisation of domestic potential and net immigration to Germany (Section 2). After that, the question is weighed up whether the demographically determined drop in the labour force potential will indeed lead to a rise in the gap in skilled labour and what risks continue to exist for the labour market (Section 3). Depending on whether and to what extent the demand for work and the supply of work diverge in the coming decades, considerable yields in welfare for public finances and the social security system will ensue through the mobilisation of domestic potential and immigration (Section 4). Empirical studies show that it has been possible to absorb skilled workers who have immigrated into Germany into the labour market during economic upswings without wages dropping and unemployment rising. Qualified immigration can also bring about a decline in the overall unemployment rate (Section 5). However the labour market integration of migrants causes considerable problems: the unemployment rate of the foreign section of the population is roughly twice as high as that of German nationals (Section 6). Germany is currently suffering from a "brain drain", that is, there are more German university graduates living abroad than foreign graduates living in Germany. It is not possible to stop the emigration of skilled labour and hence it is all the more important to create incentives for return migration and to attract qualified skilled labour from abroad (Section 7). While it is true that the qualifications of the foreign section of the population are rising, they are nevertheless dropping behind those of German nationals and foreigners in other OECD countries (Section 8). The introduction of the free movement of workers will temporarily lead to a rise in immigration, but will only make a small contribution to the stabilisation of the labour force potential (Section 9). In the second part of the article, the various options for regulation of immigration to Germany are discussed against the background of international experience." (text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Brücker, H. (2010): Zuwanderungsbedarf und politische Optionen für die Reform des Zuwanderungsrechts. Nürnberg, 25 p.