Germany’s new migration policy: what the paradigm shift means for African partner countries

This research paper analyzes the German government's announced 'paradigm shift' in migration policy, which aims to transform Germany into a modern immigration country by easing access for qualified workers. The authors argue that despite the rhetoric, the policy remains rooted in old methods, heavily conditioning legal pathways on the acceleration of returns and continuing the externalization of migration control in Africa.

• The German government's 'paradigm shift' aims to transform the country into a modern immigration country by reducing bureaucratic hurdles and increasing opportunities for qualified workers to enter and remain in Germany.
• Germany's push for increased labor migration is driven by the needs of an aging society and an economy that requires approximately 400,000 immigrants annually to maintain growth and fill labor shortages.
• The government is repurposing existing infrastructure, such as GIZ-operated return centers in Nigeria, Tunisia, Ghana, and Morocco, to serve as information centers for potential labor migrants.
• Despite the new focus on labor migration, significant barriers remain for African applicants, including strict requirements for skills recognition, German language proficiency, and limited consular capacity at embassies in Nigeria and Ghana.
• Germany continues to link the opening of legal migration pathways to the 'return offensive,' which seeks to accelerate the return of individuals required to leave Germany. This conditionality is particularly challenging in West and Central Africa, where return rates from the EU have decreased over the last decade to below 20%.
• The paper identifies a trend of 'externalizing' migration control, citing the Special Commissioner's proposal to process asylum applications in North African countries and GIZ-funded initiatives like the Better Migration Management project in Eastern Africa.
• Germany has integrated the link between climate change and migration into its agenda, with the Federal Foreign Office funding research initiatives such as the Platform on Disaster Displacement, though the authors note a lack of a coordinating body across ministries.

APA

Arhin-Sam, K., & Fakhry, A. (2023). Germany’s new migration policy: what the paradigm shift means for African partner countries. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/germanys-new-migration-policy-what-the-paradigm-shift-means-for-african-partner-countries

Chicago

Arhin-Sam, Kwaku, and Alia Fakhry. Germany’s new migration policy: what the paradigm shift means for African partner countries. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2023. https://afripoli.org/germanys-new-migration-policy-what-the-paradigm-shift-means-for-african-partner-countries.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Arhin-Sam |first1=Kwaku |last2=Fakhry |first2=Alia |title=Germany’s new migration policy: what the paradigm shift means for African partner countries |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=12 May 2023 |url=https://afripoli.org/germanys-new-migration-policy-what-the-paradigm-shift-means-for-african-partner-countries |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{arhinsam2023germanys, author = {Arhin-Sam, Kwaku and Fakhry, Alia}, title = {{Germany’s new migration policy: what the paradigm shift means for African partner countries}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://afripoli.org/germanys-new-migration-policy-what-the-paradigm-shift-means-for-african-partner-countries}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }