Published March 24, 2026 — Updated March 24, 2026
A recent Forsa survey finds a clear majority of Germans worry the country could not cope with a large new influx of refugees from Iran if the conflict there escalates. The poll shows 73% of respondents believe Germany would struggle to manage such arrivals.
Political breakdown and public concern
– Concern was strongest among supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Majorities of Social Democrat (SPD) and Left party voters also said they doubted Germany could cope. Green voters were most likely to expect that additional arrivals would not cause major problems.
– The poll comes amid rising tensions and crackdowns in Iran that have increased fears of potential migration flows. International organisations report there are currently no clear signs of a mass exodus from Iran.
– Germany already hosts Europe’s largest Iranian community, with about 319,000 people of Iranian origin living in the country, including roughly 128,000 who hold German citizenship.
– Public anxiety is shaped by recent migration experiences, notably the 2015–16 influx of more than 1 million asylum seekers and the arrivals from Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 invasion. Those events continue to influence policy debates about capacity, integration and border management.
Night work in Germany: scope and patterns
– Official labour statistics for 2024 show around 4 million of Germany’s roughly 42.6 million workers — nearly one in ten — worked at night at least occasionally. Night work is defined in the data as hours between 11 pm and 6 am.
– Men were almost twice as likely as women to do night shifts (11.7% of men vs. 6.5% of women).
– Night work decreases with age: 10.6% of workers under 35 reported night work, compared with 9.4% of those aged 35–54 and 7.4% of workers over 55.
– The highest shares of night work appeared in aviation (42.6%), security services (40.2%) and metal production (31.1%). Transport and logistics, healthcare, and hospitality also recorded above‑average rates of night shifts. By contrast, night work was relatively uncommon in construction preparation, IT services and education.
Context and implications
– The poll and the labour figures touch on different policy areas but share common implications: pressure on public services, the need for targeted labour and integration policies, and questions about health and workplace regulation for shift workers.
– The immigration poll highlights public concerns about capacity and integration if migration from Iran increases, while the night‑work statistics point to structural differences across sectors, genders and age groups that matter for labour policy and occupational health.
These situations are evolving. Observers say official data and international monitoring will be key to assessing any future migration movements and to shaping policy responses for both refugees and night‑shift workers.