In the first half of 2013, a total of 555,000 people immigrated to Germany according to provisional results of the Federal Statistics Office.

Germany's Federal Statistical Office reported an 11% year-on-year increase in German immigration numbers in the first half of the year.

The statistical office in Wiesbaden, as cited by DPA, pointed out that it had been the third time in a row that a double digit increase in immigration had been recorded.

The persisting upward trend was attributed to the eastward expansion of the European Union and the financial crisis in southern Europe.

At the same time, some 349 000 people departed from Germany in the first half of 2013, up by 10%. Net migration increased by 13% from 182,000 to 206,000.

According to Germany's Federal Statistical Office, nearly 30 000 people Bulgarians arrived in Germany in H1, 2013.

Around 2/3 of the new arrivals in Germany came from the EU, the largest number of immigrants came from Poland (93,000), followed by Romanian nationals (67,000), and Bulgarians (29,000).

There was a particularly noticeable increase in the number of immigrants from crisis-stricken Southern European countries such as Italy (up by 41% to 26,500), Spain (up by 39% to 15,500), Portugal (up by 26% to 7,300).

The number of Greeks fell by 4.5% on the year to 15,000.

As regards arrivals from non-EU countries in the first half of 2013, there was a particularly noticeable increase in substantial strong increase in the number of immigrants from crisis-stricken regions like Syria (up by 178% to 6000), Libya (up by 219% to 2000 people), and Somalia (up by 143% to 1000 people).

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