Achievements in migration policies: Merkel expresses satisfaction
In an interview for an ARD documentary, Chancellor Angela Merkel looked back on her 2015 statement, "We can do this," in response to the anticipated influx of 800,000 refugees in Germany. The interview, conducted ten years after her original statement, was a reflection on the impact, progress, and challenges of the refugee crisis.
Merkel made it clear that she would never have agreed to prevent refugees from coming to Germany with violence. However, in hindsight, she acknowledged that her decision might have contributed to the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD). Despite this, Merkel did not express any regret for her decision, believing that Germany, a strong country, was convinced it could handle the influx of refugees.
Nine years after arriving in Germany in 2015, 64 percent of the refugees are employed, approaching the overall population employment rate of 70 percent. However, only 35 percent of refugee women are employed compared to 76 percent of men. Their median full-time earnings reach about 70 percent of the national median, just above the low-wage threshold.
Carsten Linnemann, CDU General Secretary, finds the current employment rate of the 6.5 million migrants who have come to Germany since 2015 not satisfactory. He suggests a shift in the CDU's focus towards promoting regular immigration into the labor market and stopping illegal migration into the social system.
Merkel believes that Germany has made significant progress in the integration of migrants, ten years after her statement. Yet, she admitted that her decision to accept refugees contributed to the rise of the AfD and the disputes within the Union caused by her decision on refugees were not helpful in mastering the great task of integration.
Merkel was surprised by how much her statement "We can do this" was used against her. Linnemann stated that the policy of the current government should be to stop illegal migration into the social system and promote regular immigration into the labor market in 2025.
In the interview, Merkel sometimes reproached herself for not having done more for the people on site in 2012/13, during the civil war in Syria. Despite this, she does not believe that her decision to accept refugees has overstrained Germany.
Linnemann criticized the integration progress of migrants in Germany, ten years after Merkel's statement. However, Merkel remains confident in Germany's ability to continue integrating migrants and addressing the challenges that remain, especially regarding the employment of refugee women.
