Germany is “an immigration country” that must do better at integrating new arrivals, according to its new Chancellor.

Olaf Scholz confronted the topic in his first speech to parliament since replacing Angela Merkel, setting out an integrationist agenda six years after a wave of migration from Syrian refugees made the borders a controversial issue in Europe’s biggest economy.

He told parliamentarians: “It is high time we understand ourselves. Therefore it’s high time we make it easier to become a German citizen. It is only on this basis that we can make full integration and political participation possible.”

Migration into Germany soared in 2015 with more than 2.1m arrivals and 1m departures in the year, driven in part by refugee numbers. 

In 2016 Mrs Merkel admitted mistakes were made in the handling of the refugee crisis by failing to prepare more quickly for the mass exodus of people fleeing conflicts in the Middle East.

Flows fell back in subsequent years and dropped again last year in 2020 as Covid struck, lowering immigration to 1.2m and emigration to just under 1m, cutting net immigration to 200,000, its lowest level since 2010. 

Mr Scholz said he would allow multiple citizenships, meaning immigrants could retain their existing nationality while also becoming Germans.

He took office last week at the head of a coalition made of his own Social Democrats as well as the Greens and the Free Democrats.

Mr Scholz also vowed to wean the coal-burning nation off its fossil fuel addiction as he sets out plans for a green revolution.

“We have about 23 years ahead of us in which we must and will get out of fossil fuels which means the biggest transformation of our industry and economy in at least 100 years,” Mr Scholz told Germany’s parliament.

His coalition government has pledged to end the use of coal by 2030, rather than the previous target date of 2038. 

Achieving this would require a doubling green energy production, he said.

Mrs Merkel’s successor also wants to raise the number of electric cars to 15m by 2030. Earlier this year the country hit its target of getting 1m on the road.

Mr Scholz said this will mean investing to expand the country’s network of charging stations.