25.08.2026 19:20
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made a striking statement. Drawing attention to Germany's labor needs, Steinmeier said, "This country needs immigrants for the system to function. Hospitals, care homes, and the private sector depend on it."
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned citizens against dividing people according to their origins, amid heated debates over the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's plans to send migrants back to their countries.
GERMAN PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT ON MIGRANTS
Speaking at an event in Berlin, Steinmeier said, "Our constitution is clear: There are no first-class or second-class citizens." Steinmeier emphasized that people who become German through naturalization have the same rights as those who acquired citizenship at birth.
"What makes us German is not just the origins of our grandparents. Nor is it the blood flowing in our veins," Steinmeier said, adding that what matters is a common language, the will to live together peacefully in freedom, and commitment to the constitution.
"HOSPITALS AND CARE HOMES DEPEND ON THIS"
Noting that Germany needs labor, Steinmeier said, "This country needs migrants for the system to function. Hospitals, care homes, and the private sector depend on this."