Features of Germany’s Migration Policy in the Second Half of the XXth Century — the Beginning of the XXIst Century

Abstract

The migration policy of European countries, built on the interaction of two principles of social development — the principle of humanism and pragmatism — is tested for strength in modern conditions, which forces it to adapt and change. Taking into account the future that awaits Ukraine, the need to build a migration policy aimed, among other things, at the return of its population after the end of hostilities, the analysis of foreign experience in building a national migration policy seems relevant and timely. The article examines the main aspects of Germany’s migration policy from the end of World War II to the present. The processes that took place during the analysed time period allow us to draw a conclusion about a radical change in the migration paradigm of Germany as one of the most successful states of the European Union and as a state endowed with the largest migration load. The main qualitative and quantitative characteristics of Germany’s migration policy have been studied. Special attention is paid to the study of migration legislation. It was concluded that, having made a number of mistakes and miscalculations in the migration policy, the German government was able to take into account the accumulated historical experience, adapting it to modern realities. In order to prevent mistakes that were made in the past regarding migration policy, and to mitigate the existing negativity in society, the Federal Republic of Germany has developed a toolkit aimed, at a minimum, at mitigating the presence of migrants in society, their social adaptation, and at most — at full their integration. Maintaining a balance between the interests of migrants, the interests of the public and the state has been chosen as the most important state task. Special emphasis is placed on integration courses, which include language and familiarization courses for migrants to acquire knowledge of the German language, social and cultural characteristics of the native population of Germany.