Mehr Mut zur Zuwanderung Der arbeitsmarktpolitische Teil des geplanten Zuwanderungsgesetzes verfehlt sein eigenes Ziel

Recently, the political discussion concerning a new national immigration policy in Germany has been highly controversial, although all political forces agree that the existing legal provisions have significant deficits. In the fall of 2001, the German government presented its draft bill for a new immigration law, intending it to form the cornerstone of a broad-based political consensus. However, since then the political controversy has intensified. This paper analyzes those provisions of the bill which are relevant for labor-market-oriented immigration. It is argued that although the bill moves in the right direction, many of its rules are still much too restrictive and are characterized by protectionist attitudes. The rigidities of the German labor market are preserved. In addition, many of the new rules leave room for unnecessary and arbitrary bureaucratic intervention or do not take the cartel-like structure of the German labor market into account. Economic necessities demand a more liberal approach to immigration into Germany, if this immigration is to benefit the labor market.