'Germany needs newcomers'

It was only a few years ago that German reporters discovered a topic for the national news and features sections: The exodus from Germany. In 2009, some 175,000 Germans turned their backs on their homeland. Manual laborers went to Canada, academics to the US, restaurateurs to South Africa. Other European countries were even sought-after destinations - especially among doctors who went to Norway, the UK, and Switzerland in search of better working conditions and, of course, money. Television broadcasters even developed a new format based on the phenomenon. They would send a camera crew to follow emigrants and document their feelings about leaving home as well as the problems they encountered in their new countries. But that's yesterday's news.

Germany emerges from crisis a winner

The hot topic today is immigration. Every third immigrant to the EU ends up in Germany; in 2007, it was every seventh. A phenomenon! At a time when particularly those in politically conservative camps would vehemently deny that Germany is an "immigration country."

It was the big financial crisis of 2008 that spurred the influx to Germany. And it's not just Greeks, Portuguese, and Spaniards who are coming in droves, but mainly people from Central and Eastern Europe. For the most part, they're finding work. These are not "welfare tourists." German industry and small businesses are finally getting what they need: A boom that's a godsend for immigrants as well as the national economy, without the fuss of multiculturalism.

The economy needs immigration

It was and is the robust growth of the German economy that's been able to absorb the job losses in southern, eastern, and central Europe that began with the 2008 financial crisis. Germany has not just gained in terms of numbers, but also quality. Six years ago, only 27 percent of all immigrants had completed a higher education degree; now it's 40 percent. That speeds up integration considerably. It's no wonder that the percentage of immigrants with a job is just slightly below that of the general population. The best welcoming culture is clearly economic growth.

German immigration policy has also become much more organized. Not just politics, but also chambers of commerce, cities, and communities are searching in a targeted way for skilled workers abroad, and in Europe especially. There are public funds available to support the immigration of skilled workers. One example is the MobiPro EU program aimed specifically at young people in southern Europe. The program has since been stopped, but only because it was too successful! Around 9,000 young EU citizens showed interest in coming to Germany - far more than expected.

The welcoming culture factor

Germany is changing rapidly. President Joachim Gauck has even spoken of a "new German 'us.'" But be careful! The new gloss coating "It-country" Germany is mainly the result of supply and demand. The strong German economy needs qualified newcomers and is getting them because half of Europe is still suffering the effects of the crisis. But what would happen if Germany's economic growth slows?

Accepting that Germany is an immigration country means that we don't suddenly start questioning the value of immigration in years of economic decline. When industry, trade, and small businesses start cutting jobs instead of recruiting new employees, we'll discover if Germany truly has the mentality of an immigration country. All the welcoming rituals in the world won't work if we start once again to speak of "excess immigration." That's when we will all need to remind ourselves firstly, that we need continuous immigration for demographic reasons, and secondly, that there are now around 16 million people from a migrant background living here. Which means that we have long been that which some still refuse to accept: A classic immigration country.