Photo: DPA

Berlin accepts highest concentration of immigrants

Published: 23 Jul 09 10:49 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090723-20777.html

Berlin had the highest concentration of immigrants in 2008, welcoming 13 new people for every 1,000 residents, a report from the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis) said on Thursday.

The port city of Hamburg had the second highest concentration of foreign citizens, with 12 new people per 1,000 residents. Nearby Schleswig-Holstein had the lowest density of immigrants, with just five new residents for every 1,000 residents.

With 137,000 immigrants, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia had the most new residents overall, ahead of Baden-Württemberg (121,000) and Bavaria (120,000), the report said.

“Compared with the previous year, the number of immigrants remained nearly constant. The years from 2001 to 2006 had seen a steady decrease in immigration,” the statement said.

In total, 682,000 people made Germany their new home in 2008. But the report distinguished between foreign immigrants and ethnic German repatriates, tallying up 574,000 foreigners and 108,000 ethnic Germans. Most of the repatriates came from Poland, the US, Switzerland and Spain, the report said.

The most foreign immigrants came from Poland, Romania, Turkey, Hungary and Bulgaria.

The Local (news@thelocal.de)

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00:57 July 24, 2009 by Logic Guy
And why is Germany taking on so many immigrants?

Is there a shortage of people in this country?
03:06 July 24, 2009 by maidanac
Quite interesting article. what I'm amazed about is the few number of immigrants in germany. Only 13 out 1000 is not too much. Germany should try to increase the number of immigrants and non-immigrants moving to Germany by making the country more attractive and friendly. In this way, the economy and competeveness in the global market would improve. The lack of highly qualified researchers (physicist, research engineers) is hurting the development of the country. One of the first things to do is to increase the salary of scientists/researchers who are public servants. There was a time in Buenos aires city, Argentina where 51% of the population was born abroad and that led to the country to be the 7th economy in the world in that time. Something similar happened in the United States. Thanks.
10:19 July 24, 2009 by So36
@Logic Guy.

Actually yes, there is a massive shortage of people. Germany is already in the middle of a dramatic demographic collapse. They will need a lot more tax-paying immigrants to keep their cushy welfare system afloat.
17:44 July 25, 2009 by love2ocean
do German Government don't have a recession?

How they could put it up with it? This does not effect real Germans? How do they find a job?
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