Germany migration expert warns 500,000 workers needed to sustain prosperity

Herbert Brücker, professor of economics at the Humboldt University of Berlin and head of the migration research unit at the Institute for Labour Market and Occupational Research, told a discussion panel in Saarbrücken that Germany cannot maintain its wealth without continued immigration. He highlighted the country's demographic challenge, noting that a negative migration balance with the EU last year means more EU citizens left Germany than arrived.

Brücker estimated that Germany would need about 500,000 additional workers through labour migration to keep its economy growing, but only 56,000 have arrived so far. He pointed to strict immigration criteria and the difficult recognition of foreign professional qualifications as the main obstacles, and urged reforms to ease these barriers. He also stressed that while Germany performs well in education migration, overall numbers are stagnating, and that refugee migration still accounts for roughly one‑fifth of total migration.

The expert called for a shift toward attracting workers from third countries to compensate for the shortfall and maintain economic prosperity.