A Germans view on the recent immigration and the peoples reaction

02-22

I have been asked several times in China what I thought of the migrants and refugees coming to Germany, and if this was a planned move by our government.

The economic migrants and political refugees are coming to Western Europe on their

own. It is very understandable. Some had to fear for their lives, others came in search of a better life.

Our politicians where totally unprepared, although this migration was only a

question of time. In fact, in Germany many non-governmental organizations and other people had warned for years that one day, the impoverished people from Northern Africa and/or the Middle East would simply migrate to Europe. The German liberal party (Liberal Democrats, called FDP) had wanted to make an immigration law for years, while being part of the government and while being in the opposition.

Such laws exist in other immigrant countries like e.g. Canada, and in them, the

country decides how many immigrants they want, from where and what are

preconditions. This off course is not to be confused with the law of asylum for

those who are prosecuted and whos lives are threatened by prosecution for

religious, ethnic or political reasons.

But the conservative parties CDU (chancellor Merkels party) and CSU had refused to make an immigration law. They felt that an "immigration law" would already make it very clear that Germany is an immigration country, which they did not want it to appear like (with the exception of immigrants of German origin from former Soviet Union countries, which had been displaced during the war - that stream of immigrants has dried up, they are all here now, or true Russians etc. by now).

When the immigrants were at the doorsteps, the politicians did not know what to do. They did not want to apply force. Germany with its history of a divided country,

with border posts killing people who want to get to the other side: Nobody

wanted such images. In the least Angela Merkel, who was born in East Germany herself.

In my opinion, allowing the immigrants into Germany was not so much an act of planned humanitarianism, as rather the inevitable outcome of a mass movement. Our chancellor Merkel sold it so well to the people that on the one hand side, she seemed a clear nominee for the world peace prize, and on the other hand, opponents believe that this was a long term plan to rejuvenate Germany.

Neither ist true I think. The refugees wanted to go the economically strongest countries, mainly to Germany, some to Sweden.

Some gestures like the selfie-images of refugees with Chancellor Merkel (see obove) spread like wildfire. They were well intended, but probably completely underestimated in their viral effect through smart-phones which many immigrants carried despite their poorness.

Now of course, the immigrants are here, and the average level of education is lower,

even though there are also highly skilled people like doctors etc. among them.

Germany cannot leave them all on welfare, which they are doing way too much in my mind: It takes peoples dignity away. If they are not allowed to work, it is what

gives rise to other, sinister ideas in some. Integration above all else, maybe

even above learning the German language, means to work and fend for yourself in

the new society. German is off course a key qualification to get to that

status.

In 2016, only 34.000 refugees found a job. https://www.thelocal.de/20161219/so-far-only-34000-refugees-have-found-jobs.

Yet the refugee influx is believed to have created between 50,000 and 60,000 jobs for Germans, with extra jobs in professions such as teacher and social worker.

In my eyes, somebody who was willing to give up his old life, pay all the personal

fortune for a boat trip which ends with drowning for many, only to arrive in a

country where he is not wanted, must be very desperate or very brave, probably

both. Wasn』t it exactly this kind of people who built the United States of

America to become a world superpower? Most came with little to nothing. But

they had the guts to try to build something. So I would give these immigrants a

chance.

In Germany, we have minimum wages, currently 8,84 €/h (about 66 RMB). If immigrants are allowed to work, they also benefit from this level, or otherwise said, the pay for existing jobs cannot be reduced if there is more labor. However, the offer

of more cheap labor can put pressure on keeping employment at all.

On the other hand, our companies and retirement systems are drained through the

demographic change of the German people themselves. Given the fact that we have

a birth rate lower than China even under the one child policy (we have about 1.5

now, up from 1.2 in the mid 90s, and always at the level of Japan), we

actually need immigration. This level is lower than Chinass before the end of the one child policy (1.57 at the same time).

Yet the debate in Germany is not if this un-planned immigration could also be a

blessing. It is rather between those, who want to help regardless of economic

arguments, out of social responsibility alone, and those who are convinced that any immigration, especially of poor people, is a problem.

They hide their economic fear behind a mask of religious values: Christians (Germans) vs. Muslims (most immigrants). It is the same people who did not seem to know about their cultural and religious roots, before the immigrants arrived.

It is true that we have a rise in extreme right wing voters, and for the first time such a

party in our parliament since WW II. It is remarkable that they have their

strongholds in parts of Germany where there are the least foreigners and

immigrants and vice versa. The eastern provinces (former communist East

Germany, with an atheist government) are now marching against the 「muslim

invasion」. The fear seems more artificial than real. Germany with > 82 million

people can easily integrate 1.2 million refugees.

To sum it up:

Germany did not want the refugees to come, let alone attracted them on

purpose. When they came, nobody knew how to deal with the situation. Parts of

our population showed their best side, being generous and humane. Another part

showed their dark side of xenophobia.

Pragmatically, we can only look forward, and make the best of the situation. I am not afraid of the refugees or that it cant be done. I am most afraid that the society is

not willing to make the needed effort, as todays Germans are afraid of any

changes, want to keep their status quo. The new party spectrum makes finding a

stable government coalition very difficult, as the past weeks and months have

shown. A relatively small number of refugees splits our society. Our fault, not

theirs.