A recent study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), presented last Thursday, suggests that excessive bureaucracy is causing many immigrants in Germany to choose to leave the country. Among the various reasons cited, cumbersome administrative processes and bureaucratic hurdles rank as the second most frequent drivers of migration.
According to the research, immigrants often report negative experiences with bureaucratic procedures, specifically citing insufficient answers to their inquiries, lengthy processing times and fees, and unclear operational procedures. Younger immigrants, in particular, tend to be more critical of these administrative processes.
IAB researcher Julia Reinold told the dts Nachrichtenagentur that while there is hope, researchers remain skeptical about whether the current federal government’s efforts to reduce bureaucracy are sufficiently addressing the needs of immigrants. She noted that when administrative procedures are experienced as time-consuming, confusing, or difficult to access, it severely impacts prospects of staying in Germany. She emphasized that immigrants need to be guided “through this jungle” if the country hopes to retain qualified professionals and secure its social systems long-term.
Regarding where people are going, the largest group of emigrants headed to Spain, followed by Switzerland, Italy, and Croatia. Sixty percent of those who left returned to their country of origin.
Compared to those who remain in Germany, the immigrants who decided to leave were, on average, younger. They also spent a considerably shorter time in Germany, were more likely to have family living abroad, and typically had less proficiency in German. Their gross hourly wages were also lower than those of those who stayed.
Given that immigration inflows are decreasing while outflows have remained largely stable, the researchers stress that it is becoming more vital from a labor market perspective to identify individuals who are considering leaving early, allowing for targeted efforts to strengthen their prospects of remaining. The study found that although only three percent of immigrants in Germany currently plan to leave within the next twelve months, a further 30 percent considered moving abroad in the past twelve months. This indicates that a segment of the German immigrant population remains highly “mobility-oriented.”
The survey, titled the “International Mobility Panel of Migrants in Germany (Impa),” collected data from approximately 15,000 individuals between December 2024 and February 2026.
