The Bundeswehr currently has approximately 180,000 soldiers, and the deficit reaches as many as 80,000. NATO's new target of 5 percent of GDP for defense requires change. Demographic decline and the suspension of conscription in 2011 deepen the problem. Meanwhile, 30 percent of Germans have migration roots, including as many as 2 million young people (aged 15–24) with German citizenship. This is a potential that has so far gone untapped — their share in the military stands at a mere 8.9 percent, lower than in public administration (16.2 percent).

The SVR Integration Barometer 2024 (15,000 respondents) reveals that 77 percent of people with a migration background trust the Bundeswehr "completely" or "rather" — 9 percentage points more than Germans without a migration background (68 percent). The difference stems from the fact that first-generation immigrants show particularly high trust (78 percent), while the second generation converges with the rest (67 percent).

The highest trust levels are found among people from outside the EU (84 percent), followed by EU citizens (74 percent), Turks (69 percent), and ethnic German resettlers (68 percent). Germans with a migration background trust the Bundeswehr at 70 percent, especially young people (81 percent in the 15–24 age group). This is a recruitment asset, although the military's attractiveness as an employer is declining (from 40 percent in 2020 to 32 percent in 2025 according to ZMSBw).

This requires legal changes, but according to the report, the examples of France and the US show that it can "bring many benefits." The Bundeswehr must combat extremism (275 incidents in 2024) and "build inclusivity." According to the report's authors, the success in recruiting women (from 1.4 percent in 2000 to 13.6 percent today) proves that change is possible. Otherwise, the German army risks a personnel deficit and isolation from society.

Many thousands of soldiers with a migration background serve in the Bundeswehr, including Muslims and individuals of Russian origin. Their presence is controversial — from the lack of pastoral care to espionage suspicions. The SVR 2025 report emphasizes migrants' trust in the military, but reality is more complicated.

Approximately 3,000 Bundeswehr soldiers are Muslim — a significant number, as Lieutenant Hammouti-Reinke points out. However, for years there has been no pastoral care available for them, unlike for Christians and Jews. In 2024, Muslim chaplaincy was introduced in the Bundeswehr, but this is a belated solution. Soldiers like Shervan Mohamed pray after duty, and fast during Ramadan when their health permits.

Controversy erupted in 2011 when the Zentralrat der Muslime demanded military imams. A court in Minden ruled that there was no place for Sharia in the military. The Wehrbeauftragte (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces) has been appealing for equality for 10 years. The lack of chaplaincy isolates Muslim soldiers, deepening their sense of exclusion.

Russian roots in the Bundeswehr are a topic that generates tensions, especially after the invasion of Ukraine. The MAD (German military counterintelligence) also warns of espionage.

[Aleksandra Fedorska is a journalist for Tysol.pl and numerous Polish and German media outlets]

["What You Need to Know" and FAQ sections, as well as subheadings by the Editorial Team]

What is the "Zeitenwende" in German politics? "Zeitenwende" is a term used by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in 2022 to describe the turning point in German defense policy following Russia's aggression against Ukraine — it denotes increased military spending and army modernization.

Why does Germany want to recruit immigrants into the Bundeswehr? Due to an aging population and labor shortages, the Bundeswehr is struggling to reach its target of 260,000 soldiers by 2035. Immigrants, especially the younger generation, represent a potential personnel reserve.

What is the SVR Integration Barometer 2024? It is a report prepared by the Expert Council on Integration and Migration (SVR) based on 15,000 surveys. It analyzes the integration level of migrants and their trust in state institutions, including the military.

What challenges do immigrants face in the Bundeswehr? The report identifies, among other things, the lack of Muslim pastoral care, cultural tensions, and fears of extremism and espionage. At the same time, it highlights the high level of migrants' trust in the military.

Do foreign nationals serve in other EU countries' armed forces? Yes. France, Spain, and the United Kingdom have long allowed foreign nationals to serve in their armed forces, treating it as an element of integration and strengthening of the professional military.