Immigration hot German poll issue

German business says it needs overseas workers

FRANKFURT, Germany (CNN) -- Immigration could become an even more prominent issue in Germany if Edmund Stoiber's conservatives win next week's elections.

The conservatives are promising to overhaul legislation and make it even tougher for immigrants to enter the country.

But businesses are clamouring for more skilled workers as the German population ages. The issue has become a real hot potato in the election campaign.

At Frankfurt's main rail station, immigrants who fled their lands for a better life in Germany told CNN that it isn't always easy for them.

Munawar Shah, who left Pakistan 24 years ago, said: "With these clothes, people look. Sometimes they call me Osama -- the kids shout 'Osama, Osama.' I just laugh."

CNN NewsPass VIDEO Schroeder defends his stance on Iraq. CNN's Stephanie Halasz reports (September 9) Play video   EXTRA INFORMATION In-depth: Germany Decides 2002  In-depth: Europe on the move     QUICKVOTE Who will be Germany's next chancellor? Incumbent Gerhard Schroeder Challenger Edmund Stoiber View Results

Shah also says police have stopped and questioned him since September 11. And his son, whose mother is German, says he gets insults from German peers at school.

As in other countries, many Germans blame immigrants for crime and unemployment. Meanwhile, attacks on non-Germans have been on the increase in recent years.

Seizing on the issue ahead of elections, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder pushed through a law this spring that toughened policies towards many immigrants, but favoured others considered valuable to the economy.

The new immigration law tightens asylum requirements, offers green cards to skilled workers and forces immigrants to integrate by studying the German language, culture, laws and history -- but conservatives say the legislation does not go far enough.

In other elections across Europe this year, immigration has fuelled far-right populist movements.

Germany's conservatives had been promising to revamp the law in order to cut back on immigration. But conservative candidate Edmund Stoiber has recently been soft-pedalling the issue in his campaign.

The problem is that it is difficult for what is perceived to be a pro-business party to criticize something that businesses actually want -- and they want more skilled workers.

Stoiber, left, has found the issue a delicate one for his party

Mathias Boes, lecturer at the University of Heidelberg, says Schroeder sought consensus between business and social groups.

"It was one of the very clever moves of Chancellor Schroeder," he says. "So in this way, Schroeder tried to keep the whole topic out of the campaign."

Another factor in Schroeder's favour is that immigration has fallen, in part because of tougher enforcement.

The key issue now is how to integrate the immigrants.

Tinsae Gerbreslasie, who left Eritrea as a rebel fighter 20 years ago, and now runs a hair salon, said: "In the minds of the foreigners there is hope. In the minds of the Germans, I don't think so.

"German society itself has not seen integration as a priority."

But both the right and the left now say they support integration. And the new immigration law appears to point towards a national change of mind.