BERLIN (Sputnik) — Writing in the Welt am Sonntag, Schroeder unveiled his Agenda 2020 for streamlining the flow of migrants into the 28-nation bloc.
"If we are trying to close the door on asylum seekers, we should at least open a legal door for immigrants. Only through legalizing immigration will we be able to keep this [migration] in check," the nation’s former leader wrote.
Schroeder stressed that by curbing immigration Germany had reduced its tax base and would face other social challenges brought on by an aging population.
Last week, the German Interior Ministry said it had expected 800,000 asylum seekers and refugees to arrive in the country by the end of the year, four times as many as in 2014.
