Germany's Broken System Fails to Track Migrant Workers and Asylum Seekers
Germany's system for tracking migrant workers and asylum seekers contains major gaps, official data reveals. While thousands enter the country each year through short-term work schemes or visas, authorities admit they cannot confirm whether these individuals leave after their stay or apply for permanent residency.
In 2024, a new law permitted up to 25,000 unskilled foreign workers to take on short-term jobs in Germany. The Federal Employment Agency approved 14,963 such positions that year. Yet, no records exist to show how many actually arrived, worked, or departed.
The Foreign Office issued around 7,650 national visas under this scheme in 2025. Most came from Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Kosovo, Uzbekistan, and Turkey. Still, by February 2026, no official statistics tracked whether these workers later applied for or received permanent residency.
The issue extends beyond labour migration. Data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) indicates that about one in six asylum seekers first entered Germany on a visa before seeking protection. Neither BAMF nor the Federal Ministry of the Interior monitors their movements in or out of the country. Only a small portion of these individuals appear in the Central Register of Foreign Nationals.
The lack of tracking means German authorities cannot determine how many short-term workers remain in the country or how many asylum seekers overstay their visas. Without systematic records, the government has no clear overview of migration flows or compliance with residency rules.
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