German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for debates on migration to be held with reason amid increased border controls under the country’s new government.

“Immigration was never easy,” Mr Steinmeier said in Berlin on Friday at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Intercultural Week, a nationwide initiative against racism.

“It is also not just a problem story. It is also always an important part of our country’s success story.”

Mr Steinmeier said migration policy discussions should include an “honest position that says what we want and can do, as well as a consensus that we are and will remain a country with many backgrounds, religions and cultures.”

“Being German today also means equal rights for those with immigrant biographies,” the president added.

Some 21 million people in Germany, around a quarter of the population, either migrated to the country or are the children of migrants, Mr Steinmeier said.

“We are more than a country with people with an immigrant background,” the president said. “Germany is a country with an immigrant background.”

“We are more than a country with people with an immigrant background,” the president said. Germany is a “country with an immigrant background.”

He added, “Without immigration, Germany would undoubtedly be a poorer country.”

He added that without immigration, Germany would undoubtedly be a poorer country.

(dpa/NAN)