German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Tuesday a set of measures aimed at addressing the challenges posed by “irregular migration” in Germany.

Scholz unveiled plans to transition Germany to a “breathing system” for funding asylum costs. State subsidies will adjust upwards as application numbers rise to ease burdens, and downwards as numbers decrease. Procedures will also be expedited through new centralized processing centers. Germany will seek to strengthen EU external borders and return policies through bilateral agreements. Scholz emphasized that the primary objective of these measures is to curb “irregular migration” effectively. To this end, agreements have been reached to facilitate the repatriation of individuals who do not qualify for residency while concurrently streamlining the entry of skilled workers who are in high demand within the German labor market.

Lars Klingbeil, chairman of the Social Democrats, acknowledged the pressing need for migration within the German labor market. He emphasized the significance of long-term solutions in migration policy, emphasizing that it is a task of great importance for the century. Christian Democrat Friedrich Merz remarked that although Chancellor Scholz described the new measures as “historic,” he views them as a provisional culmination of ongoing discussions on migration policy. Merz highlighted the importance of considering certain hurdles for citizenship acquisition and cautioned against potential unrest if citizenship laws are not carefully managed.

According to the European Union Agency for Asylum, Germany has consistently been the primary destination for asylum seekers within the EU. In August 2023, Germany received nearly 30,000 applications, accounting for approximately 30% of all applications lodged in the EU. Notably, over the past year, there has been a substantial increase in pending cases for certain nationalities, with Turkish and Iranian migrants predominantly affected, particularly in Germany.