Welfare states are nowadays being challenged in numerous ways. Population ageing places new demands on the welfare institutions that cater to the needs of a growing number of older people. After a unified German Empire had been established in 1871, the public debate on migration in Germany concentrated on the aspect of new arrivals. The construction of homogeneity that lays behind ius sanguinis survived in legislation right up into the Federal Republic of Germany. Public controversy has undoubtedly influenced the societal climate on how migration is perceived, so that a populist vein has prevailed, where migration is seen essentially as a strain on society rather than a potentially valuable influence. Female educational background showed differences between and inside both migrant groups. In order to develop care arrangements that cater to older migrants, several working groups now exist which favour culturally sensitive old age care.