Germany after “2015”

A number of actors in the German and European political arenas are claiming that the high influx of asylum-seekers in 2015 and 2016 was mainly the result of an intentional invitation or open-door policy on behalf of the German government. In contrast to this assumption, this chapter demonstrates that the influx can be mainly explained by a combination of factors which move beyond the scope of governmental influence. The chapter then puts the events of 2015/2016 into the historical context of recent immigration and asylum debates and policies in Germany. It is further argued that Germany underwent a process of liberalisation with regard to migration prior to 2015. Against this backdrop, German society and administration were relatively well prepared for the reception and integration of hundreds of thousands of refugees. At the same time, the arrival of more than 1.5 million asylum seekers since 2015 has deeply affected the German political system and society in many regards and has led to ongoing conflicts. The chapter discusses the impact of the “refugee crisis” on several dimensions. The German perspective on the European dimension of the “refugee crisis” is also addressed.