Akhir 26, 1432 H/March 31, 2011, SPA -- Germany experienced an increase in migration in 2010 for the first time in five years, according to figures published Thursday by the national statistics office, dpa reported. Around 6.75 million foreign nationals were registered in Germany by the end of 2010, accounting for just over 8 per cent of the population. The figure was an increase of 58,800 on the previous year. "We remain an immigration country," said Rembrandt Scholz of the Max-Planck-Institute for Demographic Research. More than a third of foreigners in Germany are from the European Union, with the biggest population group of 21,600 from Romania, followed by Poland and Bulgaria, according to the national statistics office. The largest single group of non-Germans remained the country's Turkish citizens, despite the fact that their numbers are dwindling as many are becoming naturalized or returning home. Over the past 12 years, Germany's Turkish population has declined from 2.1 million to 1.6 million last year.
