Overview

• Angela Merkel’s 2015 phrase became the defining marker of Germany’s refugee response as hundreds of thousands fleeing war arrived within months.
• Administrative gaps in registration, housing and coordination in 2015 fueled public anger, yet many newcomers later entered work and built stable lives.
• Migration still drives national discourse and party fortunes, with the AfD growing from the fringe to a durable force on the right.
• Assessments diverge sharply, as CDU leader Friedrich Merz says Germany “obviously did not manage it” while Merkel describes integration as a continuing process with substantial progress.
• Fresh commentary highlights strain on Schengen and EU external borders, with critics such as Thilo Sarrazin tying immigration to higher Bürgergeld costs even as recent inflow figures have declined.