00:00 How much immigration does Germany need?
00:04 In 2020, 281 million people worldwide no longer lived in the country of their birth.
00:11 That's three times as many as in 1970.
00:15 According to statistics, the most popular destination for migrants is the US,
00:20 followed by Germany and Saudi Arabia.
00:23 Although Germany has been recruiting foreign workers since the 1960s,
00:29 it long did not see itself as a country of immigration,
00:33 like Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the US or Canada.
00:38 Guest workers from Italy, Turkey and Portugal worked in Germany to help it achieve economic recovery.
00:47 Later they were supposed to leave, but they didn't.
00:51 Today, many economists in Germany are calling for regular immigration,
00:56 because of demographic change.
00:58 Too many people are retiring, while too few young people are entering the job market.
01:03 There's a shortage of skilled workers everywhere.
01:07 According to economist Monika Schnitzler, Germany needs 1.5 million immigrants every year.
01:14 After deducting those who leave, 400,000 additional people would remain each year.
01:20 That would be enough to keep the German workforce going,
01:25 but immigrants still often face hurdles and a lack of acceptance.
01:30 Canada has long shown how things can be done better.
01:36 There, new citizens are invited to an official naturalization ceremony.
01:41 But before that, the migrants have to qualify in a points system,
01:45 which evaluates education, skills, language ability and work experience.
01:51 With the Skilled Immigration Act, the German government wants to encourage the immigration of skilled workers from non-EU countries.
01:59 But it takes more than a law to bring immigrants to a country.
02:03 Migrants must feel accepted if they are to stay.
02:06 (upbeat music)
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