Germany updates: Deportations up, Volkswagen profits down

Skip next section Volkswagen’s second-quarter profits sharply down

07/25/2025July 25, 2025

Volkswagen’s second-quarter profits sharply down

German automobile giant has posted a sharp drop in second-quarter profits, citing , rising production costs and an with a smaller profit margin.

Volkswagen profits dropped to just under €2.3 billion ($2.7 billion) in the second quarter of 2025, a 36.3% decrease on same period last year.

The Wolfsburg-based concern said that its and subsidiaries had performed particularly poorly and that sales in were also down, but insisted the drop-off was largely in line with analysts’ expectations.

Chief executive Oliver Blume insisted that Volkswagen is operating in an “extremely challenging environment,” while finance director Arno Antlitz said the results were actually “at the higher end” of the company’s expectations. “But, in the end, what matters is the money which actually lands in the till,” he said.

“We’ve made tangible improvements in design, technology and quality,” added Blume. “The order books are well-stocked.”

Nevertheless, the firm says it will stick to its restructuring plans which it intends to “implement decisively and accelerate where necessary.” Volkswagen is expecting to cut 35,000 jobs by 2030.

https://p.dw.com/p/4y09X

Skip next section Migration researcher criticizes German migration policy

07/25/2025July 25, 2025

Migration researcher criticizes German migration policy

A leading Austrian migration researcher has criticized the German government’s deportation policies, calling them a “bluff.”

“A great deal of effort is achieving very little – all while undermining EU law,” claimed Gerald Knaus, chairman of the European Stability Initiative, in the Friday edition of German finance newspaper Handelsblatt.

Knaus also defended under former Chancellor (CDU) — which has come under severe attack from Merz and his current government.

” had irregular migration under control,” he claimed. “The core elements of Merkel’s policies after 2016 were correct, as shown by the sharp decrease in refugee numbers following the [2016] refugee deal between the and .

Indeed, Knaus warned that the current government’s constant criticism of Merkel, who also headed up conservative-led coalitions, only serves to help the far-right.

“The is running from its own history and talking down its own success,” he opined. “[Now], every time any crime is committed by a migrant, [the far-right ] can claim: the CDU is to blame.”

https://p.dw.com/p/4y087

Skip next section Number of deportations from Germany increases

07/25/2025July 25, 2025

Number of deportations from Germany increases

The number of deportations from rose to more than 11,800 in the first half of this year, according to data released by the Interior Ministry.

The figure, provided in response to a parliamentary question from a lawmaker from the far-right party, represents an increase of over 2,000 on the same period in 2024, during which around 9,500 deportations were carried out.

The new conservative-led German government under Chancellor (CDU) has promised a tougher approach to illegal migration, tightening border checks, clamping down on “secondary migration” within the European Union and resuming deportation flights to countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

Earlier this month, Interior Minister (CSU) joined his counterparts from Austria, Denmark, France, the Czech Republic and Poland in calling for a tougher European migration and asylum policy.

“Effective returns are essential for maintaining trust in a balanced European migration policy,” the ministers said in a joint statement.

https://p.dw.com/p/4y081

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