Ten years after Angela Merkel’s famous words — “Wir schaffen das” (“We can do this”) — the debate over Germany’s response to the 2015 refugee crisis remains as heated as ever. What began as a humanitarian gesture that brought hundreds of thousands of Syrians and others into the country has since evolved into a defining test of Germany’s migration and integration policies.
CDU Pushes for Policy Shift
CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann offered a stark assessment this week, arguing that integration has fallen short. Speaking to the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, he noted that since 2015, some 6.5 million people have come to Germany, with “less than half” now in employment. “That is, to put it mildly, not satisfactory,” he said. Linnemann called for a tougher stance against irregular migration into the welfare system, paired with stronger incentives for regulated labor migration. “That should be our course for the coming years,” he added.
Yet a study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) offers a more positive view. According to the data, 64 percent of refugees who arrived in 2015 and are of working age were in employment by last year. This marks a steady rise in labor market participation, even if challenges around language, qualifications, and job placement remain.
Diverging Views on Integration
Other voices highlight both progress and limits. Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann praised the “phenomenal” wave of solidarity shown by Germans in 2015, but noted that the scale of arrivals quickly overwhelmed local structures. He argued that qualified immigration remains key but warned that those who refuse to learn German or take up work after a decade are a burden on the welfare system.
Former Chancellor Merkel, meanwhile, continues to stand by her decision. In a recent interview, she acknowledged the weight of her 2015 choice but stressed that the country had accomplished much since then. “This is a process, but until now we have managed a lot. And what remains must continue to be done,” she said. tagesschau.de
