OECD praises refugee integration - with caveats
The integration functions better than its reputation, stated the Federal Commissioner. The OECD provides the numbers and refers to a high proportion of immigrants in employment and good language skills. However, people with lower educational degrees should still be better supported.
According to the OECD, Germany is relatively good at integrating refugees into the labor market. In 2022, their employment rate in Germany reached a record high of 70 percent and was significantly higher than in most other EU comparison countries. The comprehensive language support seems to have a positive effect: The language skills of immigrants have improved more in Germany than in most other EU countries. However, the report also shows several areas for improvement - for example, in the area of discrimination. Every fifth immigrant from non-EU countries in Germany feels discriminated against.
In the political debate on this topic, it is often criticized that too few asylum seekers find jobs and instead rely on state benefits. According to the OECD, this is partly true: Challenges exist above all for migrants who have at most a primary school education. This group makes up more than one sixth of the immigrant population and its share has increased in the last ten years. Only half of this group is employable. And only one quarter of them reach advanced German language skills after five years of residence. The OECD regretted that Germany lags behind other countries in the further education of these people.
Nearly 16 Million Immigrants
The educational achievements of children born in Germany to immigrant parents are significantly better than in most comparable countries, according to the OECD. However, the results are worse than in comparison countries if children were born abroad and came to Germany only in their school years. No progress can be observed here. The already existing performance gap between German-born students and students from other countries has increased in recent years. The OECD sees this as a possible consequence of school closures during the Coronavirus pandemic. There is also a need for action for women with young children, who have recently often come from Ukraine. They are less integrated into the labor market than elsewhere.
In 2022, more than 14 million immigrants lived in Germany. Since then, over one million refugees from Ukraine and around 600,000 other asylum seekers have arrived. In the OECD study it was stated that the investments in integration have apparently paid off. "The differences in living conditions are often smaller than in other countries, and the employment rates of immigrants are high in international comparison. In addition, nearly two-thirds of immigrants who have lived in Germany for at least five years speak fluent German."
Every Euro invested in this area is good money, said the Integration Commissioner of the German government, Reem Alabali-Radovan. "The integration in Germany functions much better than its reputation." However, there is still a lot to do. "Our education system is not yet geared towards the immigration society that we have been for a long time."
- The refugee policy in Germany needs to address the education disparities, as the OECD report highlights that children born to immigrant parents in Germany perform better educationally than those who arrive during their school years.
- In the realm of politics, a more comprehensive refugee policy could include focused efforts on improving employment prospects for immigrants with lower educational degrees, as they face significant challenges in finding jobs and advancing their German language skills.
- Germany's immigration policy should also consider the integration of refugees in terms of education policy, as the OECD has recognized the country's investment in integration as having yielded positive results, but continued improvement is necessary to bridge the performance gap for immigrants and ensure equal opportunities for all.
