East Germany: The Tramp of Migrants

When East Germany was split off from the West in the aftermath of World War II, it had 18 million people. In the 15 years since then, 3,400,000 East Germans have fled to the West, leaving behind them an acute labor shortage.

The mass exodus not only continues but is currently on the increase: over the Easter weekend, 5,200 refugees checked in at reception centers in West Germany and West Berlin. A total of 46,367 East Germans sought asylum in the West during the first three months of 1961—a 40% rise over the comparable period last year. Nowadays, most of...

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