One in Four Immigrants May Leave Germany Over Discrimination, Politics – Study

A growing number of highly educated immigrants in Germany—particularly in IT and finance—are contemplating emigration due to political dissatisfaction, discrimination, and bureaucratic challenges, a new study has revealed.

The report by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), released Wednesday, found that 26% of immigrants have considered leaving Germany in the past year. Roughly 300,000 already have concrete plans to do so.

Among the 22 million immigrants living in Germany, only 57% said they want to remain permanently, while 12% aim to stay temporarily and 30% remain undecided.

“Those who came for work or education, with strong qualifications, economic success, and good German skills, are most likely to consider leaving,” said IAB researcher Lukas Olbrich. “These are the skilled individuals Germany urgently needs.”

The study highlighted that knowledge-based industries—especially IT, financial services, and insurance—are seeing the highest emigration risk, with up to 39% of workers in these sectors considering departure.

Contributing factors include experiences of workplace discrimination, interactions with public institutions, high taxes, and slow bureaucracy. Personal and family concerns, as well as more attractive opportunities elsewhere, are also pushing many to weigh relocation.

Rising support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which secured over 20% of the vote in February’s elections to become the country’s second-largest party, has further deepened fears within immigrant communities.

Germany, facing an aging population and acute shortages in fields such as IT, construction, healthcare, and renewable energy, continues to struggle in attracting and retaining foreign talent.