Germany would be a 'poorer country' without migration: President

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for debates on migration to be held with "reason," amid increased border controls under the country's new government, reported dpa.

"Immigration was never easy," German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Berlin at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Intercultural Week, a nationwide initiative against racism.

"It is also not just a problem story. It is also always an important part of our country's success story."

Steinmeier said discussions on migration policy should include both an "honest position that says what we want and can do," as well as a "consensus that we are and will remain a country with many backgrounds, religions and cultures."

"Being German today also means equal rights for those with immigrant biographies," the President added.

Some 21 million people in Germany - around a quarter of the population - either migrated to the country, or are the children of migrants, Steinmeier said.

"We are more than a country with people with an immigrant background," the president said. Germany is a "country with an immigrant background."

He added: "Without immigration, Germany would undoubtedly be a poorer country."