Immigrants account for 53% of unemployment in Germany, AfD claims

Immigrants now account for 53% of unemployment in Germany: the figure stirring up the campaign

Research by René Springer, an MP for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), has brought an uncomfortable figure into the open: 53% of the country's unemployed are immigrants. According to the report, 307,000 foreigners would have obtained German citizenship while receiving unemployment benefits, a fact Springer describes as "abuse of the welfare state". The study, released by the party itself, argues that granting passports to people who cannot support themselves contradicts German law.

The figure, however, is not without controversy. While conservative and far-right sectors present it as proof of mass immigration collapsing the social protection system, critical voices denounce it as a political weapon to justify xenophobic policies. The debate goes beyond the numbers: it calls into question the role of the German passport as a tool for integration and the sustainability of the German social model.

The shadow of the upcoming regional elections looms over the report. The CDU, the Christian Democratic party, has so far reacted tepidly, while the AfD promises to "stop immigration into the welfare state" and launch "remigrations" if it comes to power. Experts point out that Germany needs skilled immigration to sustain its pension system, but the profile of the foreign unemployed suggests a different reality.

Is the 53% a reflection of a misaligned reception policy or a smokescreen to attack immigrants? The data is on the table, but the interpretation depends on the lens you look through.