The USA and Germany share one aspect
The USA and Germany share one aspect – strengthening their immigration policies. Such policies mainly seek to limit the number of immigrants entering nations. It is primarily because of the fears of adverse economic effects. For many years, the USA has been allowing immigrants as part of a financial measure, such as reducing skills shortage. However, in recent years, the Trump administration has embarked on strengthening its migration policies citing that the influx of immigrants does not add value to the U.S. economy. Comparatively, Germany experienced a surge of immigrants seeking asylum in its territory. Piatkiewicz [1 par.1] mentions that the excessive arrival of refugees occurred across Europe in 2015-2016, which forced the nation to pronounce an immigration policy known as “Willkommenskultur.” As a result, Germany welcomed almost one million migrants and refugees [1 par. 1]. The countless acts of solidarity primarily from the local communities, municipalities, faith groups, and several civil society associations [1 par. 3] mainly guided the mentioned policy. Chancellor Merkel’s administration has recently introduced stringent measures to minimize the number of immigrants entering the nation, citing the problem of the rise of crime in Germany. The Trump government also used the same rhetoric to justify the new immigration policy in the US-Mexico border. Accordingly, both Germany and the USA are strengthening their immigration policies.
The thesis seeks to understand how the strengthening of immigration policies could adversely affect the economy. Notably, the research focuses on evaluating the relationship between migration and skills shortage. The findings would reveal if the latest measures adopted by both nations is a strategy against skills shortage. By conducting a quantitative analysis of the two countries, the study intends to fulfill the following objectives:
- The influence of migration policy on the labor market
- The existing economic discourse for Germany as compared to the USA as a classic immigration nation
- The impact of immigration on demographic development
The study is expected to reveal a positive correlation between immigration and solving skills shortages in the labor market. Therefore, these findings would be used to recommend the next measures that Germany and the USA can consider as they continue strengthening their immigration policies.