Did Merkel's 2015 decision attract more migration to Germany

Bibliographic Data

ID6257352
AuthorsJasper Tjaden (0000-0002-5054-3535, Department of Economic and Social Sciences University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany, corresponding author), Tobias Heidland (0000-0001-9646-1132, Department of International Development Kiel Institute for the World Economy Kiel Germany)
Year2025
Volume64
Issue1
Pages389-405
Publication date2025-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Political Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0304-4130 • E-ISSN: 1475-6765
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1475-6765.12669
OpenAlexW4392517477
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited32

In 2015, German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to allow over a million asylum seekers to cross the border into Germany. One key concern was that her decision would signal an open‐door policy to aspiring migrants worldwide – thus further increasing migration to Germany and making the country permanently more attractive to irregular and humanitarian migrants. This ‘pull‐effect’ hypothesis has been a mainstay of policy discussions ever since. With the continued global rise in forced displacement, not appearing welcoming to migrants has become a guiding principle for the asylum policy of many large receiving countries. In this article, we exploit the unique case study that Merkel's 2015 decision provides for answering the fundamental question of whether welcoming migration policies have sustained effects on migration towards destination countries. We analyze an extensive range of data on migration inflows, migration aspirations and online search interest between 2000 and 2020. The results reject the ‘pull effect’ hypothesis while reaffirming states’ capacity to adapt to changing contexts and regulate migration

Political science · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Health and Trauma · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Psychology

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