"German refugee policies are not suitable for current global challenges," concluded Benjamin Etzold this week in Berlin, where he presented the "Global Forced Displacement Report" he co-wrote along with his colleagues from the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC).

Recalling Germany's recent federal election campaign, which was significantly shaped by the issue of immigration, Etzold thinks the debate was too "heated" and too focused on how immigration affects Germany — something he believes is unlikely to change under the new government.

The researcher thinks the public debate could be improved by more interest in facts and scientific findings, while the global dimension of displacement is still largely being ignored.

The migration expert also sharply criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz's

© Deutsche Welle