Germany could take in 500,000 migrants per year, say liberals
Migrants who have lived in Germany for more than 25 years should be offered automatic citizenship and a 'ministry of social participation' should be created to help foreigners integrate into German society, the paper added.
The working group has asked that the policies be included in the next round of coalition talks between the leaders of the SPD and the CDU.
It was unclear whether the paper envisaged taking in an additional 500,000 skilled workers, or whether that figure would be part of an overall migration target for the next government. Germany received 1.9 million migrants in 2023 according to Statista, a German database.
It comes after the CDU and SPD reached a provisional agreement on migration in which the new government would have powers to turn away asylum seekers in large numbers from Germany's land borders.
However, the two parties remain at odds over whether Germany needs permission from a neighbouring country before rejecting a migrant or asylum seeker at their shared border.
Jens Spahn, a senior CDU politician, claimed this week that the agreement allowed asylum seekers to be turned back 'without the consent of the other countries'.
But SPD officials said they could only support border rejections as part of an agreement with Germany's neighbouring countries, such as Austria and Poland.
Debt brake reform
On Thursday, the Bundestag, the German parliament, held its first debate on a major new reform by Mr Merz, the incoming Chancellor, that will scrap spending limits on major defence projects.
Mr Merz wishes to reform the so-called 'debt brake' in the German constitution so that defence projects which cost more than one per cent of GDP are exempt from spending limits.
He also plans to set up a special fund to improve German infrastructure, as he says rearming the Bundeswehr, the Germany army, requires a stronger overall economy.
Mr Merz announced the reforms in response to fears that Europe can no longer count on Donald Trump, the US president, for security guarantees.
'We have to do something to improve our defensive capabilities, and quickly … the word deterrence must rapidly be given a credible military foundation,' Mr Merz told MPs on Thursday.
To amend the constitution Mr Merz would need a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag, which would only be possible with support from the Greens, who have threatened to sink the Bill unless it is expanded to address climate change.
The Greens said a counter-offer by Mr Merz, which would include intelligence, civil defence and climate protection projects in the special fund, did not go far enough. The reform is expected to be put to a vote on March 18 and talks on securing support from the Greens continue.
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