SPD wants right of residence for well-integrated refugees
The SPD parliamentary group met in Berlin on Thursday and Friday (January 8 and 9, 2026) for a closed-door meeting. There, the members of parliament set their political priorities for 2026. The SPD's positions are also of great importance because, together with the CDU/CSU, it forms the current federal government and thus has a major influence on the political direction of the coming months.
A key topic of the discussions was migration—in particular, how to deal with refugees who are already integrated into the labor market or are undergoing training.
In the draft resolution for the closed-door meeting—which has not yet been made public but has been quoted by several media outlets such as Tagesschau and Der Spiegel —the SPD parliamentary group advocates permanent right of residence for these refugees. The prerequisites for this would be employment or vocational training and successful integration. The party justifies this demand with the ongoing shortage of skilled workers and labor in Germany.
SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch explained on the sidelines of the conference that the principle must be: anyone who works or is in training and is part of society should be allowed to stay in Germany.
The economy urgently needs these people. Migration should not be viewed negatively across the board, but rather as offering great opportunities. The goal must be to promote skilled immigration.
Migration as an economic necessity
In the opinion of the SPD, immigration is no longer just a humanitarian issue, but also an economic necessity. Many companies are already finding it very difficult to fill vacant positions. Sectors such as nursing, skilled trades, logistics, and the hotel and restaurant industry are particularly affected.
As the Spiegel quotes from the draft resolution, it states: "The shortage of skilled workers is already posing major challenges for many companies. This is another reason why we want a right of residence for all people who work or are trained here and are well integrated."
From the SPD's point of view, companies depend on these workers. A reliable right of residence for well-integrated people in employment or training should provide greater security for both those affected and the companies themselves. In addition, it could contribute to the long-term stabilization of social security systems.
As Der Spiegel further reports, the SPD considers it "absurd" to deport people who are well integrated and perform urgently needed work.
Within the federal government, which also includes the CDU and CSU, the SPD therefore wants to establish a clear principle: work, education, and integration should play a greater role than before in determining whether people are allowed to stay in Germany.
CSU calls for stricter rules on migration and residence
With this demand, the SPD is clearly distancing itself from the course taken by its coalition partner, the CSU. At its own closed-door meeting last week, the party spoke out in favor of a so-called "deportation offensive" for 2026.
In its position paper, the party calls for significantly more deportations, especially to Syria and Afghanistan. These are also to be carried out on scheduled flights. In addition, the party proposes setting up a separate deportation terminal at Munich Airport. The CSU justifies this demand by arguing that, especially in the case of asylum seekers from Syria, the original reason for fleeing no longer applies after the end of the civil war.
In addition, the CSU is calling for nationwide departure centers and stricter rules on EU freedom of movement. Other demands include automatic loss of protection status when traveling to the country of origin and tougher consequences for criminal offenses or extremist statements.
Assessment: Can the SPD push through its demand?
It remains to be seen whether the SPD will actually be able to push through its demand for refugees with jobs and training to be granted a secure right of residence. However, one thing is clear: there are differing opinions within the federal government on the issue of migration and residence rights.
Resistance is expected from the Union. Both the CDU and the CSU are currently focusing more on restrictions and repatriation in their migration policy.
The AfD is also expected to reject the proposal. However, the SPD could receive support from the Green Party and the Left Party. Both parties have repeatedly spoken out in favor of granting well-integrated people in employment and training the right to remain in Germany.
Ultimately, the decisive factor will be whether and to what extent a compromise can be reached within the government. It also remains to be seen whether the SPD will actually submit its proposal to the Bundestag in the form of a concrete draft bill. Only then will it become clear whether there is a parliamentary majority in favor of granting refugees the right to remain in Germany for work and training purposes.
What do the demands of the SPD and CSU mean for migration policy in 2026?
Important: A position paper is not yet law and has no legal effect.
Neither the CSU's current demands nor the SPD's positions will automatically lead to a change in the current legal situation. Before any changes can be made to residence, asylum, or naturalization laws, a concrete draft bill must first be presented, debated in the Bundestag, and finally passed by a majority vote. In many cases, further steps are also necessary, such as approval by the Bundesrat.
For migrants, this means that even though political debates are currently very much in the spotlight, the legal situation remains unchanged for the time being. The existing rules will continue to apply until new legislation actually comes into force.
Conclusion
However, the current debate shows how different the views within the federal government are on the issue of migration and the right of residence. While the SPD sees migration as an opportunity and focuses on integration, work, and education, the CSU is more focused on deportations and tightening residence laws.
Whether work and education will offer greater protection against deportation in the future depends on whether the SPD can push through its approach within the coalition. One thing is clear, however: the right of residence for people in work and education could become a key migration policy issue in 2026.
