German parties meeting on immigration

Leaders of the two governing parties in Germany are meeting later today to agree on a common approach to immigration ahead of the general election next year.

The Social Democrats and the Greens are expected to seek the support of the opposition to keep the issue out of the election campaign. The Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, has already said he hopes his party the Social Democrats will keep prevent it from becoming an election issue. The meeting follows the leak of a draft report from the immigration commission that is expected to propose allowing some highly qualified immigrants to enter Germany.

A member of the commission , Professor Rainer Munz, has confirmed that the draft seeks a shift in German policy from keeping immigrants out to letting them in, to fill a predicted drop in the German population.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service