In fact, immigrants can even keep refilling the glass, according to Martin Werding, a member of the German Council of Economic Experts, which evaluates government policies. He estimates that at the current level of migration, each newcomer will contribute €7,100 (about $8,300) to the state budget annually in the coming decades—about €3 billion a year. That’s mainly because migration adds young taxpayers to the workforce, which spreads pension expenses across more people. “The debate is too polarized,” Werding says. “From a demographic perspective, we are dependent on immigration.”