German Immigration & Integration Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary you need to talk about migration, asylum, and integration in German, from everyday words like der Ausländer (foreigner) to more official terms like der Asylbewerber (asylum seeker) and die Ausweisung (expulsion/deportation). One trap for English speakers: German splits "immigration" into die Einwanderung (moving in) and die Auswanderung (moving out), where English just uses "immigration" and "emigration" without the shared root making the connection so obvious. Another false-friend risk is die Assimilation vs die Integration: German uses them the way policy debates do, as two distinct and sometimes contrasted concepts, not as casual synonyms.
Learn these 22 words
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All 22 words
plural: die Ausländer
foreigner
Viele Ausländer und Ausländerinnen lernen in der Volkshochschule Deutsch. — Many foreigners learn German at the adult education center.
plural: die Ausländerinnen
foreign woman
Die Ausländerin ist neu in der Stadt. — The foreign woman is new to the city.
plural: die Herkünfte
origin
Viele Leute fragen mich nach meiner Herkunft. — Many people ask me about my origin.
plural: die Integrationen
integration
Gute Deutschkenntnisse sollen bei der Integration helfen. — Good German language skills are supposed to help with integration.
integrate
Sie ist schon sehr gut im Team integriert. — She is already very well integrated into the team.
intercultural
Wir haben in der Sprachschule ein interkulturelles Fest gefeiert. — We celebrated an intercultural festival at language school.
migrant
Viele Migranten kommen aus Osteuropa. — Many migrants come from Eastern Europe.
plural: die Migrationen
migration
Gestern gab es im Fernsehen eine Diskussion zum Thema Migration. — Yesterday there was a discussion about migration on television.
to deport / get rid of
Der Staat möchte illegale Migranten abschieben. — The state wants to deport illegal migrants.
plural: die Asyle
asylum / sanctuary
Er suchte Asyl in einem anderen Land. — He sought asylum in another country.
plural: die Asylbewerber
asylum seeker
Der Asylbewerber wartet auf eine Entscheidung. — The asylum seeker is waiting for a decision.
plural: die Ausländer
foreigner
Der Ausländer sprach kein Deutsch fließend. — The foreigner did not speak German fluently.
plural: die Auswanderungen
emigration
Die Auswanderung nach Amerika war schwierig. — Emigration to America was difficult.
plural: die Ausweisungen
expulsion / eviction / deportation
Die Ausweisung des Flüchtlings war kontrovers. — The deportation of the refugee was controversial.
plural: die Einwanderer
immigrant
Der Einwanderer ist vor zehn Jahren angekommen. — The immigrant arrived ten years ago.
plural: die Einwanderungen
immigration
Die Einwanderung in ein neues Land ist eine große Herausforderung. — Immigration to a new country is a major challenge.
plural: die Flüchtlingslager
refugee camp
Im Flüchtlingslager leben tausende Menschen. — Thousands of people live in the refugee camp.
labor migration
Die Arbeitsmigration aus Osteuropa nimmt zu. — Labor migration from Eastern Europe is increasing.
plural: die Assimilationen
assimilation
Die Assimilation von Migranten ist ein komplexer Prozess. — The assimilation of migrants is a complex process.
plural: die Diasporen
diaspora
Die Diaspora der Juden verteilte sich weltweit. — The diaspora of the Jews dispersed worldwide.
to naturalize / introduce
Der Migrant wurde 2020 eingebürgert. — The migrant was naturalized in 2020.
plural: die Grenzregime
border regime
Das Grenzregime wird strenger überwacht. — The border regime is monitored more strictly.
How to learn this set
Notice the ein-/aus- pair running through this list: einwandern/Einwanderung (immigrate/immigration) versus auswandern/Auswanderung (emigrate/emigration), plus einbürgern (naturalize, literally "in-citizen-ize"). Drill these as a pair, not in isolation, so the prefix logic sticks. Also group der Migrant, der Einwanderer, der Ausländer, and der Asylbewerber together as one gender (all der, with -in forms for women, like die Ausländerin) since mixing up genders here is the most common mistake. For the compounds, break them apart: Flüchtlingslager = Flüchtling (refugee) + Lager (camp), Grenzregime = Grenze (border) + Regime, Arbeitsmigration = Arbeit (work) + Migration. Seeing the pieces makes the long words far less intimidating.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Migrant and Ausländer in German?
Ausländer just means someone who is not a citizen of the country (a legal/national status), while Migrant refers to anyone who has moved from one country to another, regardless of citizenship. A naturalized former migrant is no longer technically an Ausländer, but is still a Migrant in background.
Is Ausländer a rude word?
No, der Ausländer is the neutral, standard word for foreigner and is used in official contexts and daily speech alike. It is not a slur, though tone and context (as with any word) can still make it sound cold.
What is the difference between Einwanderung and Immigration in German?
They mean the same thing, but Einwanderung is the native German word (from wandern, to wander/migrate) and is more common in everyday and official use, while Immigration is a Latin-based loanword that sounds more formal or academic. Die Einwanderung is the one you will see on government forms and news reports most often.
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