Out-of-touch Left Party leader Jan van Aken is calling for Germany to accept one million migrants per year, insisting it’s a “manageable number” despite the country’s growing migration crisis. Speaking with Funke Media Group, he even proposed granting asylum to those fleeing the “consequences of climate change,” pointing to Pakistan and Bangladesh—home to over 200 million people—as examples.
Van Aken admits Germany can’t take in unlimited numbers but argues, “After the Russian attack on Ukraine, more than a million war refugees came to us. That is a completely manageable number.” However, his stance clashes with mounting concerns from local officials overwhelmed by the realities of mass migration.
Mayors and district leaders continue to sound alarms over housing shortages, strained schools, and skyrocketing crime. In Berlin, nearly half of gang rape suspects are foreign nationals, and the city is spending billions on migrant accommodations while freezing its education budget. Even Bremen, one of Germany’s most pro-migration cities, is struggling. “We’re completely overwhelmed,” said Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer, admitting mass immigration is fueling housing and social issues.
It’s not just conservatives pushing back. Social Democrat leaders like Matthias Jendricke warn that integration, social services, and housing markets are at a breaking point. Green Party Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir even admitted that his daughter faces frequent sexual harassment from migrants.
Education is another flashpoint. Schools are buckling under the pressure of non-German-speaking students. “How are teachers supposed to teach when they don’t speak Farsi or Ukrainian?” asked Stefan Düll, head of the German Teachers’ Association, noting that 25% of fourth graders in Germany can’t read.
Van Aken is running for office in Hamburg, where migrant housing is at near-full capacity, and most students now come from migration backgrounds. His call for more migrants comes as his own party’s past leaders have made controversial remarks, including former MP Gregor Gysi’s statement that “more Germans die than are born. Fortunately, the Nazis are not very prolific.”
While Van Aken pushes for more immigration, many Germans—across the political spectrum—are warning the system is already past its breaking point.
