More immigration from EU countries
The largest group of immigrants is from Poland; many also come from countries particularly hard hit by the financial crisis.
GERMANY ATTRACTS MORE PEOPLE. Germany received 960,000 immigrants in 2011, about 20% more than in the previous year. More and more of them are coming from European Union countries – mainly from Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. The number of people moving to Germany from countries particularly hard hit by the financial crisis – such as Greece, Spain and Italy – has also increased. In total, Europeans accounted for 62% of immigrants. “Immigration can strengthen us if we organize it right,” said Minister of State Maria Böhmer at the presentation of the latest Migration Report in January 2013. The number of Germans emigrating fell slightly to 140,000. The main destination for German emigrants is Switzerland. There was a further increase in the number of international students with a foreign school-leaving certificate who started degree courses in Germany. The total rose to 73,000 students in 2011 – the highest level recorded to date. As in the last ten years, the largest group of foreign students beginning courses at German higher education institution in 2011 came from China; the second largest group were from the United States.
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