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Migration background

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) defines a “person with a migration background” as a person who was not born as a German citizen or who has at least one parent who was born with a citizenship. Since 2005, the Federal Statistical Office is registering people with a migration background in the national census. This number entails foreign nationals who live in Germany; naturalised citizens; repatriates (“Spätaussiedler*innen”) as well as the children of these groups. The term only applies to people who immigrated to today’s federal territory. It therefore excludes the expellees and refugees of the immediate post-war period. In the micro-census of 2011, the Federal Statistical Office defines people with a migration background as foreign citizens living in Germany, German citizens who immigrated to today’s federal territory after 1955 as well as German citizens who have one parent who immigrated to Germany’s current territory after 1955. In 2016, roughly 25% of Germany’s population had a migration background.