Almost 22 million people in Germany have an immigrant background, accounting for 26.3 per cent of the population. Their integration is making good progress, particularly in education and employment, according to the federal government. This is outlined in the latest Integration Report, presented in Berlin on Wednesday by Natalie Pawlik (SPD), the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration.
Her overall assessment was: "Integration is becoming increasingly successful, despite the obstacles and challenges that still remain."
The number of foreign nationals in employment has been increasing for years, Pawlik said. The vast majority of people who have immigrated to Germany feel a sense of belonging to the country, while the children of immigrants are increasingly achieving higher levels of education. However, these educational advances still depend "to a very large extent on the social environment", the commissioner noted.
"Not all children have the same starting conditions," the Minister of State emphasised. "Children with an immigrant background are less likely to attend daycare centres in our country. Young people without German citizenship are more likely to leave school without a school-leaving qualification."
The Integration Report shows that the number of foreign nationals in employment increased from 1.8 million in 2009 to 5.8 million, more than tripling over the period. According to Pawlik, employment growth in recent years has been "largely driven by foreign workers".
"Today, more than 700,000 people without a German passport work in the healthcare and social services sector alone," she said. "Whether in nursing, skilled trades, industry or logistics, people with an immigrant background contribute to our country's prosperity."
In the healthcare and social services sector alone, the number of employees without German citizenship has increased by 38.9 per cent over the past four years. The hospitality sector recorded an increase of 24.2 per cent, while employment in transport and warehousing rose by 21.8 per cent.
Almost half of the children of immigrants now achieve a higher level of education than their parents. Among people aged 25 to 34, the proportion holding a university degree has more than doubled since 2009, reaching 27 per cent. Pawlik described these developments as "remarkable achievements". They demonstrate that "educational advancement and integration are succeeding in Germany despite existing obstacles".
However, the report also highlights continuing challenges. Among young adults with an immigrant background, 37.5 per cent do not have a recognised vocational qualification, a comparatively high proportion. The figure is also significantly higher among their descendants, at 19.5 per cent, than among people without an immigration history.
The Integration Commissioner also pointed out that, according to the report's findings, 81 per cent of immigrants feel a sense of belonging to Germany. "This is an important message at a time when discussions often focus primarily on problems and supposedly failed integration," Pawlik said.
Pawlik identified further room for improvement in the employment rates of women with an immigrant background. While nearly 88 per cent of women without an immigrant background living in households with a partner and children are employed, the figure is only around 61 per cent among women who have immigrated to Germany.
"We need to do better in this area by providing reliable childcare, faster recognition procedures, good language support and targeted vocational training," she stressed.
The federal government submits a report on the state of integration to the Bundestag every two years. For the latest report, researchers analysed data across 14 thematic areas, including demographics, education, employment, language, housing, political and social participation, and health. The main focus of the new report is on the educational pathways and labour market opportunities of people with an immigrant background.
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