Catherwood LibraryILR School

As the population of German nationals continues to age, the government is executing a plan to leverage their large refugee population as a way to fill gaps in the workforce. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants are arriving in the country every year, most of whom are young men coming from Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. The government plans to spend 3.2 billion euros a year to first teach the refugees German language and culture, and the practical skills necessary to start working in factories and hospitals. Germany is the first country to integrate workers into the labor force on such a large scale, and they could be setting an example for other EU countries to follow in the future. According to a study by the German Institute for Economic Research, the country’s future depends on successful integration. Failure could result in prolonged government transfer payments to the refugee population, who would at best provide a supply of low-skilled labor. The hope is that Germany’s large investment will pay off in seven to ten years when the net tax revenue from immigrants will exceed the costs of integration and transfer payments.