Publication

This commentary contends that Germany's response to the large numbers of refugees attempting to enter the EU in 2015 has not been particularly cohesive. The author argues that, on the one hand, Germany wants to tighten conditions for granting permanent residence permits, while on the other it is intensifying efforts to integrate foreigners into German society and the labor market. He also suggests that Germany is likely to press for a uniform annual refugee quota for the entire EU and engage more strongly in the protection of the EU's external borders.