Christian Dustmann was a guest on the podcast Wirtschaft im Gespräch (“Economy in Dialogue”) by Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster, hosted by Thomas Kohlmann. The episode explored the state of refugee integration in Germany’s labor market, ten years after Angela Merkel’s famous “Wir schaffen das” (“We can do that”).
Dustmann distinguished between labor migrants, who typically arrive with jobs in mind, and refugees, who face greater obstacles to integration. “For refugees, the entry into the labor market is a longer process, as language acquisition and the recognition of qualifications take time,” he noted.
He pointed to both successes, such as strong employment growth among Syrians since 2015, and persisting barriers, including regulatory hurdles and limited opportunities to transfer skills. Dustmann emphasized that early labor market access is crucial: “The workplace itself is one of the most important places to build networks, learn the language, and achieve integration.”
The full discussion is available on DW’s Wirtschaft im Gespräch website.
