1. Overview of the Nuremberg Migration Days 2025
The Nuremberg Migration Days 2025, a two-day expert conference held on 20 and 21 November 2024 in Nuremberg, brought together roughly 450 participants from administration, politics, academia and business. The central question—’Asyl- und Integrationspolitik im Umbruch – Vor welchen Herausforderungen stehen wir?’—framed discussions in a moment of shifting migration dynamics: falling asylum numbers, growing enforcement, and rising pressures on local labour markets. Participants examined how policy instruments and institutional design can reduce frictions and improve outcomes for migrants, refugees and host communities.
2. Main themes and debates
Key themes included asylum policy and integration, labour market integration, recognition of qualifications, minimum wage effects, mobility and visa design, and the balance between enforcement and rights protection. Debates contrasted proposals for modern immigration policy and targeted skilled immigration instruments with tougher enforcement and detention-based measures. The conference also highlighted the role of institutions—how rules and regulations change incentives and shape real outcomes for employers, workers and asylum seekers.
2.1 Labour market frictions, institutions and recognition
Researchers at the event stressed that institutions matter for how well migration supports both newcomers and the economy. For example, the recognition of foreign qualifications can raise employment rates and wages for migrants: when degrees and vocational credentials are accepted, people move into jobs that match their skills. The minimum wage and fair pay rules also influence incentives for hiring and long-term integration. Speakers warned that restrictive rules that limit job mobility can lower wages and reduce firm performance, while positive, well-designed visa programs can boost business turnover and economic participation.
2.2 Asylum trends, enforcement and legal changes
Panels reviewed a sharp decline in asylum applications—reported as a 51 percent drop in 2025—and an increase in deportations, a trend political leaders pointed to in support of tougher measures. Critics, including advisory bodies, cautioned against freedom-restricting adaptations in asylum enforcement (GEAS adjustments) and demanded greater transparency about decisions on safe countries of origin. European proposals such as Dublin-IV also raised concerns about refugee rights and burden-sharing between states.
3. Human stories and political responses
Concrete cases illustrated the human impact of policy choices. One example discussed at the conference was the deportation of a Syrian apprentice, Hussain Salan, which prompted public debate and political reactions across parties. Such stories highlighted tensions between integration in practice—training, work, language learning—and enforcement decisions that can reverse those gains. Political responses ranged from calls for stricter enforcement to arguments for more flexible routes into work and protection.
3.1 Role of civil society and public services
Attendees emphasized the role of local administrations, education providers and civil society in making integration work on the ground. Practical supports—language courses, vocational training, counselling for recognition of qualifications and job search assistance—are essential complements to legal reforms. Strong cooperation between public services and employers can reduce mobility costs for migrants and speed labour market entry.
4. Policy instruments: what worked and what risks remain
The conference reviewed policy tools that can help manage migration and strengthen integration: clear recognition procedures for qualifications, a robust minimum wage that prevents exploitation without blocking employment, targeted visa programs to meet labour shortages, and pathways such as ‘Spurwechsel’ (change of status) for asylum seekers to enter the labour market. At the same time, speakers warned of risks: measures that restrict job mobility can depress wages and hurt firms; freedom-restricting detention measures raise legal and ethical concerns; and opaque rules about safe countries undermine trust.
- Improve and speed up recognition of foreign qualifications to match migrants to appropriate jobs.
- Protect labour mobility within the country to avoid wage depression and firm-level harm.
- Design positive visa programs that address sectoral labour shortages and support business growth.
- Ensure transparency and rights protections in asylum procedures and any designation of safe countries.
- Consider controlled pathways such as Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz, Chancenkarte and Spurwechsel to combine humanitarian protection with labour market needs.
- Monitor the impact of enforcement measures on social inclusion and on long-term integration outcomes.
5. Open questions and research needs
Participants called for more evidence on how frictions—mobility costs, union influences, recognition delays—affect both migrants and employers. Key research needs include rigorous assessment of minimum wage effects on migrant employment and wages, evaluation of visa program designs, measurement of the social costs of deportation policies, and monitoring of how legal reforms (including GEAS adjustments and European rules like Dublin-IV) change rights and access. Transparent data and cross-disciplinary study will help craft policies that balance labour market needs with human rights.
| Issue | Why it matters | Suggested action |
|---|---|---|
| Recognition of qualifications | Matches skills to jobs and raises wages | Simplify procedures and provide support for applicants |
| Mobility restrictions | Can depress wages and hinder firm performance | Protect internal labour mobility and reduce administrative barriers |
| Visa program design | Shapes how migrants fill labour shortages | Create targeted, demand-driven entry routes |
| Asylum enforcement | Affects rights, inclusion and social trust | Increase transparency and assess rights impacts |
6. Conclusion: navigating asylum and integration challenges
The Nuremberg Migration Days 2025 made clear that migration and integration policy sit at the intersection of labour markets, legal frameworks and human stories. Policymakers should pursue balanced, evidence-based reforms that encourage legal, skilled immigration, support qualification recognition, protect rights and maintain transparency in asylum processes. Thoughtful institutional design can reduce frictions, help migrants contribute to the economy, and strengthen social cohesion—because Germany needs migration that works both for newcomers and for host communities.
