Germany in Transition? An Appraisal of Immigration Trends and Identity Debates in the Context of the 2015–2016 Refugee Crisis
| Author | Preetha Mitra |
| Published date | 01 April 2022 |
| Date | 01 April 2022 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00208817221092840 |
https://doi.org/10.1177/00208817221092840
International Studies
59(2) 163 –179, 2022
© 2022 Jawaharlal Nehru University
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DOI: 10.1177/00208817221092840
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Research Article
Germany in Transition?
An Appraisal of
Immigration Trends and
Identity Debates in the
Context of the 2015–2016
Refugee Crisis
Preetha Mitra1
Abstract
This article examines Germany’s response to the European migrant crisis of 2015–
2016 by analysing immigration and identity debates in Germany and their impact
on German politics. The refugee crisis sharply divided the European Union and
raised questions relating to immigration, humanitarian assistance and the duties
towards those fleeing war and persecution. In such a scenario, Chancellor Angela
Merkel’s decision to admit more than a million refugees had deep ramifications
not only for German politics but also European and international politics at large.
After the initial wave of support subsided, xenophobic and right-wing factions
emerged, and public opinion began to turn against Merkel. The emergence of such
sentiments is at odds with Germany’s complicated relationship with nationalism
and right-wing politics in the post-war era. It is this juxtaposition that the article
aims to analyse; whether the response to the refugee crisis proves that Germany
is on the path to becoming a more inclusive society despite the presence of
deep-rooted xenophobic elements. In order to do so, this article has focused on
the complex relationship between party politics, immigration trends and identity
debates in Germany and its impact on contemporary German politics as a whole.
Keywords
Immigration, identity, German politics, xenophobia, migrant crisis
Introduction
The year 2015 saw Europe plunging headlong into a migrant crisis that threatened
the very foundation of the European Union (EU) and brought to light the dismal
Corresponding author:
Preetha Mitra, Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal
700032, India.
E-mail: preethamitra@gmail.com
1 Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
164 International Studies 59(2)
failure of the authorities in dealing with the hordes of people, who landed on the
shores of Europe, fleeing war, persecution and poverty. The country, which found
itself in the eye of the storm, was Germany; its leader Chancellor Angela Merkel
allowed 1 million refugees to enter the country, hoping to brace the nation with
her claim ‘Wir schaffen das’ meaning ‘We can manage it’. There was an influx of
approximately 1.1 million asylum seekers who came to Germany in 2015 alone
and were greeted by enthusiastic Germans in cities like Munich and Dortmund.
Germans, swept up in the wave of ‘Wilkommenskultur’ (welcome culture),
opened their arms to the hundreds and thousands of refugees who had risked their
lives to reach their country. As an ever-increasing number of refugees struggled to
reach Germany, Chancellor Merkel made allowances and exceptions to the
existing EU asylum rules, permitting entry to refugees stranded in Hungary via
Austria. These measures were welcomed with sympathy from an overwhelming
number of Germans. Opinion polls revealed that the share of Germans wanting to
accept more refugees increased from 57% to 59% since August 2015 with 96%
supporting the view that those fleeing war and violence are authorized to seek
asylum (The Economist, 2015). However, as the initial wave of welcome and
solidarity cooled down, many started to realize some of the harsher realities of the
crisis, namely the challenge of integrating the newcomers, many devoid of
necessary language skills or qualifications, into the labour market and society
(The Economist, 2016b). The influx of more than a million refugees led to the
fears of the economy being overburdened, which would place stress on social
benefits. There also loomed the dread of cultural threats and terrorism. Many
prophesied about the grave danger to Europe’s centuries-old culture and tradition,
while some professed Christianity itself to be in jeopardy.
Germany’s xenophobic right reared its head, manifested by protest marches
by the group called the Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the
Occident (PEDIGA) and the rise of the anti-migrant Alternative für Deutschland
(AfD) party. The wave of discontent started gathering momentum after the events
of 2016–2016 New Year’s Eve in Cologne when groups of migrants, reportedly
of North African or Arab origin, sexually harassed women who had gathered to
take part in the celebrations. According to reports, as many as 1,000 women had
fallen victim to incidents of sexual assault, robbery and intimidation in Cologne
on New Year’s Eve (Richards, 2016). These events led to a waning of public
support for Angela Merkel, and a sense of apprehension started becoming
perceptible among the public. A sense of threat crept into the German public
consciousness, and a section of conservatives even questioned the legality of the
acceptance of these refugees.
Germany’s reaction to the crisis had implications much wider than merely
accepting and integrating such a large number of newcomers. While countries like
the UK refused to shoulder much responsibility, the problem proved to be a
crippling blow to the stability of the EU itself. Taking up such a challenge would
prove a tough test for Merkel who could not have been oblivious to the fact that
the move would provoke some sort of backlash from a section of the population
as indeed it did. The tide of popularity slowly began to turn against her, while
right-wing populist sentiments gained headway. The question arises: why did
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