Why Germany needs migrants more than UK

Commentary feature by Robert Peston, Economics Editor at the BBC. He suggests that there was an economic and demographic backdrop to the differential policies towards asylum-seekers of Germany and the UK in the summer / autumn of 2015 - to Germany's relatively open door that compared with the UK's heavily fortified portal (although which was opened somewhat by UK Prime Minister David Cameron on the 7 September 2015).

The Federal Statistical Office in Germany (Destatis) said in January 2016 that 'The current high immigration has only limited effects on the long-term population trends. It is mainly reflected in short-term population growth, but cannot reverse the trend towards increased population ageing. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that the current age structure of the population is expected to have a stronger impact on the demographic development in the next three decades than the balance of immigration to and emigration from Germany. High net immigration can however slow the pace and lessen the extent of population ageing.

The differences between the numbers of people in the younger and the middle age groups are quite large and can probably not be offset by net immigration. The number of people aged 67 years and over is expected to rise to at least 21.5 million by 2040. It will then be 6.3 million, or 42%, higher than the number of people aged 67+ in 2013 (15.1 million)'.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Germany suspends Dublin agreement for Syrian refugees http://www.europeansources.info/record/germany-suspends-dublin-agreement-for-syrian-refugees/

ESO: Background information: Cameron bows to pressure to let in more Syrian refugees http://www.europeansources.info/record/cameron-bows-to-pressure-to-let-in-more-syrian-refugees/

ESO: Background information: The 2015 Ageing Report: Underlying Assumptions and Projection Methodologies http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-2015-ageing-report-underlying-assumptions-and-projection-methodologies/

BBC News, 09.09.15: Which countries are in the best position to take migrants? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34138831

Politico, 11.09.15: [Opinion]: Good Germans? Up to a point… http://www.politico.eu/article/good-germans-asylum-seekers-dublin-regulations-eurozone-crisis/

The Local.de, 07.09.15: Germany takes refugees because it cares http://www.thelocal.de/20150907/germany-isnt-taking-refugees-for-selfish-reasons

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

Deutsche Welle, 20.01.16: Immigration not going to stop Germany's demographic problem http://dw.com/p/1Hh5Y

Deutsche Welle, 14.01.16: Refugees: 'They have the same access to the job market' http://dw.com/p/1Hdis

Germany: Federal Statistical Office: Facts and Figures: Statistical data on refugees https://www.destatis.de/EN/FactsFigures/_CrossSection/Refugees/Refugees.html

Germany: Federal Statistical Office: Press Release, 20.01.16: Currently high immigration cannot reverse population ageing https://www.destatis.de/EN/PressServices/Press/pr/2016/01/PE16_021_12421.html

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