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Pakistanis in Germany

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pakistanis in Germany
Distribution of Pakistani citizens in Germany (2021)
Total population
140,000 (2022 official estimate)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Frankfurt am Main, Berlin and Hamburg
Languages
German, Pashto, Urdu, Saraiki, Sindhi, Punjabi, English, Balochi
Religion
Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Others
Related ethnic groups
Overseas Pakistani, Indians in Germany, Chinese in Germany, Afghans in Germany, Iranians in Germany

The figure given above of Pakistanis in Germany includes only people holding a Pakistani passport. German citizens of Pakistani origin or descent are not included.

Pakistani-Germans refers to the community in Germany of Pakistani heritage or citizenship.

History

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Roughly every fifth Pakistani in Germany (21%) has been living in Germany for over 15 years prior to 2011. Just over 25% or around every fourth Pakistani living in Germany today came to Germany less than four years ago. Many young Pakistanis have come to Germany recently as students of science and technology in prestigious universities. The German government has established German Academic Exchange Service in Islamabad.[2] These highly educated Pakistanis are serving in various sectors of the German economy.[3]

In 2021, 2,055 Pakistanis were naturalized as German citizens.[4] Almost a third of all Pakistanis in Germany live in Hesse. There are approximately 1900 Pakistanis living in the northern city-state of Hamburg, about 1500 in Frankfurt am Main and almost 1400 in Berlin and its suburbs.[5] In 2009, the German government estimated the number of people of Pakistani descent residing in Germany at 76,173.[6]

The tradition of Pakistanis coming to Germany for higher education was pioneered by the famous poet and philosopher Muhammad Iqbal. In 1907 Iqbal traveled to Germany to pursue a doctorate from the Faculty of Philosophy of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. Working under the supervision of Friedrich Hommel, Iqbal published a thesis entitled The Development of Metaphysics in Persia.[7]

International students

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The Government of Pakistan through its Higher Education Commission has sent hundreds of Pakistani researchers and scientists for training in German universities.[8] Most major German universities have Pakistani student societies.[9][10][11] Hundreds of institutes in Pakistan teach students German as their primary foreign language as part of an effort by Germany's top technical colleges to attract more Pakistani students.

A recent study by Germany's Federal Employment Agency concluded that Pakistanis have been the most successful at finding work in the EU country over the past couple of years.[12]

Religion

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Most Pakistanis in Germany are Muslim, including majority Sunnis, Shias and other sects. There are also many Pakistani Hindus, Parsis, and Sikhs, as well as a strong Christian community.

Street named in Muhammad Iqbal's honour in Heidelberg.

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Bevölkerung in Privathaushalten nach Migrationshintergrund im weiteren Sinn nach ausgewählten Geburtsstaaten" [Population in private households by migration background in the broader sense by selected countries of birth]. destatis.de (in German). Statistisches Bundesamt (Federal Statistical Office, Germany). 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  2. ^ e.V., DAAD Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (4 November 2011). "DAAD-Information Centre Pakistan - Welcome to the Website of DAAD in Islamabad!". ic.daad.de.
  3. ^ "DW-WORLD.DE - Almost a Third of All Pakistanis in Germany Live in Hesse". Archived from the original on 2005-03-07. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
  4. ^ "Number of naturalizations in Germany in 2021, by selected previous citizenship". Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  5. ^ "Startseite - Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)". www.destatis.de.
  6. ^ Bundesamt für Flüchtlinge und Migration, Dr. habil. Sonja Haug Stephanie Müssig, M.A. Dr. Anja Stichs (Hrsg): Muslimisches Leben in Deutschland, 2009: page 76, chart 5
  7. ^ "Iqbal's "Development of Metaphysics in Persia" PhD thesis" (PDF).
  8. ^ Mittelstraß, Bettina (2010-01-27). "Regierung sendet Forschungsnachwuchs". DAAD-magazin (in German). Archived from the original on 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2022-01-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ "PSA RWTH Aachen". www.psa.rwth-aachen.de.
  10. ^ Faisal, Sardar. "Home". Pakistan Students Association - University of Duisburg-Essen پاکستان اِسٹوڈنٹس ایسوسی ایشن - یونیورسٹی ڈوئسبرگ ۔ ایسن.
  11. ^ "Pakistan Student Association - TUHH". www.tu-harburg.de. Archived from the original on 2010-06-18.
  12. ^ Shamshir Haider, Deutsche Welle (5 June 2018). "Why are Pakistanis so successful at finding jobs in Germany?". DW.COM.
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