Migration and Population Change: Central and East Europeans in Germany are on the rise

Abstract

Immigration to Germany has increased since 2009 and reached a preliminary high in 2013. Triggered by the comparably stable German economy and the abolition of transitional immigration restrictions, the majority of immigrants arrive from East European Union enlargement countries of 2004 and 2007. As a result of recent inflows, the immigrant population from Central and Eastern Europe in Germany clearly increased. Although many newcomers are comparatively well skilled, they were often not successful in transferring their skills to the German labour market.